A Second Chance, A New Darkness
by Red Mage 04
Summary: The day was won, the demon defeated. Now he slept, resigned to his fate. But the war was far from over. The heroes' victory has only revealed the hands of the prime mover. Asparia moves once more unto the breach, as an eons old war threatens to destroy it
1. Dreams and Dragons

Welcome everyone, to the first chapter of what is hopefully a better story than before. (crosses fingers). For those of you who have read this story before, and have seen the author's note, I can only hope that this story proves worthy of your time again.

For those of you new to this, please understand that this tale is currently in the process of being heavily revamped, so please, do not be surprised when you go beyond this intro chapter and notice a very abrupt and very sharp decline in quality, quantity, and grammatical correctness.

As always, I humbly hope that this story will prove worthy of everyone's time, and the bandwidth that it is currently consuming.

Standard disclaimer that will hold true for all chapters: Attention Lawyers: I, Red Mage 04, do hereby swear upon my immortal soul and my gift of cognitive reasoning that I own none of the canon characters of this story, nor do I in any way seek to profit from their usage. I'm also pretty much broke, so there's no real gain involved for filing a lawsuit against me. All I claim ownership over is the characters and names that are the products of my demented and half insane imagination.

Additional warning: as an advanced warning to some individuals, there are battle scenes in this story (arguably even in this chapter) that will be somewhat graphic. In future scenes, especially towards the end, expect the usual unpleasantness that came with actual middle age warfare.

Special thanks to animedragongirl, for so graciously proofreading this.

With those out of the way, here we go again. May you all enjoy this story, and it prove worthy of your attention.

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**A Second Chance. A New Darkness**

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Of Dreams and Dragons

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Dreaming. That was his life, his reality now. There were images swirling in his head, liable to change at any moment. The dreams, images, and memories all swirled together, being calm one second, and the next, shifting around with all the violence of a hurricane. In his mind battles were relived, precious moments with friends and family were clung to like a starving man would cling to food.

Those passing by, though, would have had no knowledge of this. They would have simply seen a massive dragon wrapped around the base of a strange, spire-like formation of rock. Its blue-black head would occasionally twitch and shift, but aside from that no signs were ever given that it was even alive. Such was the fate of the creature.

Its name was Ryu Bateson, and it was to be an eternal sentinel. A first and final line of defense against the demons that waited down below, waiting to swarm over this world and cast it into darkness. There were other safeguards of course, such as an entire city of his kind down below. There they waged an eternal war against the fiends, desperately beating the demons back, keeping them confined to the dimension called Infiniti. This was only one of its names, however. It was more commonly known as Hell or Inferno.

In the event of the city's fall, he would be all that would hold back the storm. Another, equally vital role was defending against surface attacks. The demons' powers were great and even separated from this world by barriers and magical wards, their influence had seeped out, finding the hearts and minds of those who were corruptible. To those individuals, the promises of power had been too enticing, and they had eagerly moved lock and step with the commands of their fiendish masters.

Through centuries of subtle crafting, the creatures had built up an entire religion dedicated to themselves and their foul master. Strengthened by the prayers of the people, their powers over manipulation had grown, until they had an entire army of unwitting slaves and thralls. Twice, now, the surface had been breached by the hellspawns.

The first came from below. Empowered by the prayers of their followers and the blessings of their leaders, a demonic strike force had smashed through the portal, wards and all, and proceeded to wreak havoc on the nearby community of Gate. The actions of his mother, Valerie, had repelled them, but the wards had been damaged beyond repair. The only solution was to transform into her true form and use her power to shield the surface from additional attack.

The cost was high. The energy necessary to maintain the barrier required her to enter a hibernation-like state. Her children and her husband never found out the truth behind their mothers nature, and went on through life, assuming that she had been killed in the attack.

Another attack came thirteen years later, in the form of a Saint Evans assault force. They had deluded the people into thinking that Valerie was the source behind the myriad of plagues, crop failures, and other woes befalling their village. A combination of blast-globes and spells had mortally wounded her before Ryu and his companions could stop them.

He'd had the grim, bitter satisfaction of watching her rip the entire group of fanatics, including the church leader, Habbaruku, to pieces before she'd succumbed to her wounds. Reunion between mother and son had been short, though, and she'd died in Ryu's arms.

Though Ryu and his companions had ultimately been successful, and killed Deathevan, the "Demon God," the barriers had been unguarded, and the fiends were nothing if not tenacious. It would only be a matter of time before they rallied around a new leader and continued to press the attack. The potential consequences had made themselves painfully obvious to the Kaiser, and he'd made his choice.

As his mother had stood guard over this world, so now did he.

The dragon's head shifted in his sleep, and a deep, rumbling breath came from him. Within his mind the dreams swirled and changed again.

He was in a small arena, pillars and magical darkness surrounding him at every turn. Armor adorned his body, and a helmet hid his head. In one hand, he held a large scutum, a curved tower shield that protected almost the entirety of the left side of his body from attack. In his right he held a strange weapon that looked to be a hybrid of a scimitar and a bastard sword. Known as a rune blade, the weapon featured a gentle curve and a slight flare for most of its length, to enable quicker and more efficient cuts, slashes, and chops, before narrowing down at the last few inches to a fine stabbing point. A shorter, thicker blade was also strapped to his back.

Training, back before he knew what he truly was.

Up above him, a man paced. He was clad in similar armor and equipment, only his was adorned with a large, black dragon on the front, and his helmet was tucked under his arm. This let Ryu see the face of the man. His brown hair was tied back in a pony tail, and a series of scars crossed his face, as if some great beast had slashed him there.

Down below, a figure darted out of the shadows. It fired a crossbow, which bounced off the metal and wood of the scutum as Ryu yanked up into position. Undeterred, the man pressed in and drew a longsword. Several blows were traded, a downward slash that came towards the right side of Ryu's body, a thrust that would have "pierced" his heart if it had not been parried. A chop at his neck. He blocked them all, and with a deft parry, opened the man up to counter attack. The sword sailed in, and touched against the padded armor of his opponent. The man gave a grunt, and rolled out of the way, dashing back off to the shadows.

"Phalanx!" the man up top barked.

Ryu's mind swirled for a fraction of a second, before he remembered the answer.

"Use magi to break the formation, preferably with fireballs or acid clouds." He said, swallowing heavily and spreading his legs, his eyes constantly scanning the shadows. "If those are unavailable, use archers to pin them down and then flank the unit. Again, focus on breaking the formation and wiping it out piece-meal."

He heard the cocking of another crossbow, and whirled to face it, getting his large shield up. He succeeded, and was charged again, this time from two different sides. He backpedaled to keep both foes in sight, and prevent himself from being flanked.

He traded blows with them, using the rune blade to parry one while his shield held off the other. The opponent on his right thrust out with a longsword, but with speed that seemed almost inhuman, Ryu knocked the blade down, spun his own around it and used the momentum to tear it from the other man's grasp. The disarmed opponent barely had time to blink before a metal plated boot hit him in the gut, blasting the wind from him and leaving him down on the ground.

Ryu shifted as he saw his other adversary try to roll around him to the right. As before, the man found a large, nearly impenetrable hybrid of metal and wood facing him, and his axe clanged uselessly off it. Ryu charged, shoving the man off balance and knocking him to the ground. He touched the tip of the large weapon to the man's throat and spun back around, causing a dark blue combat skirt to flutter slightly around his legs.

"Cavalry!" his master shouted.

"Pike formations, three or four rows deep. Place them between the main body of infantry and the charging lines. Adjust as appropriate," he paused for a moment as two blunt tipped arrows were fired at him. He blocked one, sliced the other out of the air. "Harass with archer fire or cavalry archers if they're available."

Again the attacks came, again he defeated them, and again the question was asked. Longbow formations, mages, legions, siege warfare tactics, all were asked. For minutes, hours it seemed, the hellish combination continued. Increasingly, the questions began to be called out while he was still fighting, and he found himself having to think on his feet, dodging blades, blocking arrows, and answering questions all at once.

Eventually, the topic turned more personal. Less about military formations, more about the individual species that made up Asparia.

"Worren!" the master demanded.

"Use thunderstones to blind them, they're more sensitive to light and noise," Ryu grunted as an assailant smashed a large war hammer against his shield, pushing him back. He countered with a furious barrage of attacks that forced his foe to awkwardly twist the weapon and use it as an impromptu defensive device, something its thin handle wasn't meant for. After a few strikes, Ryu's blunted blade shattered it. He "stabbed" his foe, forcing him to flee into the darkness.

"Windian!"

"Use blunt force weapons, their extremity bones are hollow to lessen their weight, but beware of counter attacks," he growled as he twisted and dodged another arrow, "because of their higher muscle density."

It continued as before until finally he was given something that made him pause.

"Dragon…" his master's voice trailed off.

The young man below paused for a fraction of a second, and looked at the elder with confusion; he almost got hit by a barrage of arrows a few moments later.

"Dragon!" the elder insisted, this time with greater urgency.

"I don't know…" Ryu responded, helplessly.

The scene faded and shifted, swirling into another dream. In this one, he saw himself again, only he was clad in scales instead of metal, and had claws instead of a blade. Before him was Deathevan. The demon's pig-like face was twisted into a snarl, and its large tail thumped heavily behind it.

They were surrounded by a darkness that was so pure and absolute that an ordinary mortal would have had to shield his eyes, lest that blackness burn them from their sockets. Rage burned in his heart as he remembered his fiends, their broken and shattered bodies floating aimlessly through this plane of Hell.

Bow… Katt… Sten… Rand… Spar… Jean… and Nina…

Rage became power. Power became energy, crackling along the talons of his arms, swarming over his entire body. He curled up and unleashed the attack.

It was a blast of raw, unadulterated Eldritch, strong enough to level an entire town, and focused into two swirling balls of purple-black energy. The Demon God grunted as the blasts impacted and exploded.

When the flash cleared, it barely seemed phased.

A swarm of blackness enveloped the foul deity, living shadow belched forth from his one remaining ally: Ray Braddock. The Shadow Dragon, his visage twisted into a mask of raw hatred, bombarded their foe again and again. Darkness that could turn a man to ash and masonry to dust didn't even register to their opponent.

"You are the ones they send to face me…" Deathevan shook his head. "Ever fools, the Brood. Know this, whelps—" the creature became a blur as it moved, flying up even with Ryu and lashing out, sending the dragon's sixty ton body hurling through the abyss. "I am fear given form… hatred in a physical shell. The very races that you seek to protect empower me. I hear their prayers, their cries in the night, and I, the merciful deity that I am, answer them."

The Kaiser Dragon righted himself, coughing harshly, curling slightly around a chest that now sported a few broken ribs.

Ray screamed into to attack, but a casual flick of Deathevan's talons sent a spell towards the Shadow Dragon. It connected, and sent the former Saint Evans priest hurtling away into the darkness.

It was toying with Ray, battering him, but leaving him alive for now. Just so he could watch the champion of his people fall.

The twisted fiend snorted again and faced Ryu head on. "I am a God, boy… and you… you're nothing more than a half-breed, an accident born of an idiot village priest and a fool of a Brood that couldn't concentrate on her true mission." It chuckled darkly, before speed-blitzing again, smashing his foe upside the head with enough force that it he'd been any weaker, his neck would have been shattered.

A blast of dark energy followed, smashing into Ryu's body. The dragon had to resist the urge to scream as every nerve in his body suddenly screamed out as if on fire. The pain was like a white hot knife, cutting deep into his very soul.

"You are a sacrificial player in this eternal game of chess, young fool," he faintly heard the demon say. It almost sounded like it pitied him. "In the end, we are both little more than pawns. The difference between you and me, though, is that I understand this. I know that I am just a tool, an instrument… a weapon." It fired again, and this time, Ryu could not hold back. A scream of raw agony echoed throughout the abyss.

"You on the other hand, cannot seem to see the forest for the trees." He body checked the dragon again. More bones broke, and Deathevan's foe screamed once more. "You blunder around, honestly thinking that you have a purpose in life, that you were meant to be a man of your own will." Its tail lashed out, sending Ryu spinning again. "You are nothing more than a puppet, dancing to the tunes and manipulations of one master after another."

Ryu grunted, and fired off more Eldritch blasts at his foe, trying to force the pain from his mind. Too much had been lost to fail now. Too many had died. Too many towns lain to waste, too many lives ruined. His foe laughed the attacks off again. Then he blurred forward again, and the next for moments of the dragon's existence were agony as had never been felt before. Bones snapped, tendons were shredded, and muscles failed. He lashed out with right hand and drew deep lines across the Demon God's face, forcing it into retreat. His jaws opened and he summoned up his powers, sending a blast of raw energy that hurled the three hundred ton monster about like it was a rag doll.

Ryu knew that he had bought himself some time, but that it was far from over. He tried to channel his powers through his left arm, but couldn't get it to work properly. A glance down showed him why. He no longer had one. It was drifting off in the void, blood and Eldritch power flowing from the torn regions.

He coughed again as he saw Deathevan righting itself a few thousand feet away. The demon looked slightly injured, but it was going to take a lot more than that to bring it down. He tasted blood, and realized that one of his broken ribs had punctured a lung. His body was screaming and his vision seemed blurry. He was dying.

There was nothing left to do now but to go for broke. He quickly reviewed everything that he had learned about the monster while fighting it. It was strong, fast, seemingly a perfect being. Power that would level mountains and wipe armies from the field of battle were taken with a laugh and a jeer. The demon had to have a weak point, though. Everything did. Nothing was without flaw.

Once more, Ray came in, roaring with the fury that only a dragon could muster. Once more he was swatted aside like he was nothing more than an insect.

As the demon god came back into battle against the Kaiser Dragon before it, throwing spell and energy blast at him, Ryu finally realized something: despite the creature's long neck, it always kept itself hunched down. Did that perhaps indicate a weakness? Or was it just some clever ruse to keep its foes from guessing its true vulnerability?

There was only one way to find out. He summoned his power again, and unleashed another hellish blast of raw energy. As before, it sent Deathevan spinning and rolling through the abyss they were in. Then Ryu called on all the power that his failing body could muster and shot forward. His wings pumping, he accelerated towards the incarnation of darkness, leaving a trail of blood and crackling, arcane energy behind him, a testimony to his many wounds.

He slammed into his foe, clawing, tearing and biting at it with everything his dying body could muster. Energy was swirling around his body as he called on any reserves his body had left. The power fueled his blows as the two tumbled and rolled throughout the abyss.

Deathevan did not take the battle lying down. The Demon God fought back with every ounce of strength it had. But Ryu was beyond pain, beyond caring. He was like a berserker, who put no stock in his own safety and focused only on the destruction of his hated foe.

He finally managed to get the demon's head up and its neck exposed slightly. He saw that it was devoid of the armored hide that covered the rest of his body, and lashed out, sinking his teeth into the vulnerable flesh. His opponent roared in agony for the first time since the battle started. Encouraged, Ryu began to shake his draconic head back and forth like and oversized dog. His fangs sunk deeper into the flesh, tearing back and forth.

Deathevan managed to throw him off, but Ryu took a sizable chunk of the Demon God's neck with him. Dark energy leaked from the wound as the dragon spat the hunk of flesh from his mouth, his fangs stained dark by the blood. His tongue reached out and licked some of it from them. Ryu savored the taste of his opponent, and then lunged back in.

Unknown to the dragon or his foe was that the power that he was leaking was not just going anywhere. It was guided by its own intelligence, the longings of its master. It traveled through the void, seeking out the bodies of Ryu's fallen friends. It curled around them, seeping into their bodies.

In that moment, hearts resumed beating, souls were thrust back into their mortal shells, and with gasps of air, they awoke to find themselves back in the blackness. They quickly became aware of the titans that were raging around in this place. In an instant, they knew what had to be done.

Spells were channeled by those who knew them, and those who did not charged forward with weapons that would put fear into the immortals that had forged the very world they fought for.

In an instant, Deathevan had realized its peril. The Kaiser Dragon that sought to tear its throat out, empowered by his dying fury, was requiring all of the fiend's attention to keep at bay. The mortal allies of its foe had fought their way through legions of hellspawn to reach where they were now, and when attacking as a unified force were not to be underestimated. The Demon God was caught in a lose-lose situation. Attempt to fend them off, and Ryu would manage to get a death grip on the throat, ignore them, and focus on the enraged Brood, and they would tear into its body and wound it so badly that the devil might just be killed anyway.

The attacks began. Bolts of energy from Bow's Brood-forged crossbow impacted all over Deathevan's body, sending shards of pain deep into it. Blows from Rand's enormous gauntlets, Katt's battle-staff, Sten's knives, and Jean's rapier, hit home moments later. Then it felt a crushing pain as a huge column of spiked stone slammed into its head, punching through the armored hide and cracking the skull. The hellspawn looked up to see the Windian, Nina, hovering above him; her blue eyes alight with fury and her black wings spread in homage to the angel of death. Another spell followed, and another and another, blasts of ice comets, fireballs, and life sucking energy all hitting it, causing a shriek of agony to echo through the darkness.

They were causing the Demon God to lose focus, and to its horror, it realized that the Kaiser, though dying, was starting to win the battle between them. His head was inching closer and closer to his foe's exposed throat. At any moment, the dragon was going to succeed.

The Worren in the group landed on Deathevan's face and it had a brief moment to stare at her before she plunged her staff deep into one of its four eyes. The Demon God gave a howl of pain, and lurched backwards, tossing her from her perch. There was fleeting moment of exposure, but the head snapped back in place before Ryu could seize it.

Then it gave a grunt of surprise as its neck was seized in a large reptilian maw. Too late, the fiend realized it had forgotten about Ray. The Shadow Dragon yanked backwards, exposing the wounded throat.

The Kaiser had his window of opportunity. Fangs the size of a man's body closed around the tender flesh of Deathevan's throat and sank in. Ryu could feel his teeth burrowing into the spine. Calling on his rage to give him the energy he needed, he yanked his head backwards. The whiplash nearly decapitated his foe, and left its spine exposed.

Darkness blasted from the wound and the Brood sought one final blow; the one that would end it all. He clamped down again, and felt the spinal column crunch beneath the force of his bite. He tore his head backwards again, ripping the neck completely free of the body.

Deathevan's face managed a surprised, startled gurgle, before the hellfire faded from its eyes and died. The hellspawn's body still thrashed though, blasting everyone away from it.

The dreams swirled again, focusing on a more peaceful time. Back when Ryu had been younger, and he could see his father and mother together, feel himself clutched in his mother's arms, while his father held his little sister.

He sighed in sleep, and let the memories fade. He unconsciously realized that there was no sense dwelling on them, those brief moments were in the past, and nothing could be done to change that.

Then something started to happen. The dreams started fluxing more and more, moving in and fleeing before he could understand what was going on. He caught brief glimpses of images, Katt, on her feet before him at the Arena, clutching at her shoulder and glaring up at him. The group around a campfire. Nina fluttering in front of him, saying something he couldn't hear. Someone knocking him to the ground.

Suddenly, they all faded into blackness.

There was a roar, accompanied by a blast of light, and Ryu Bateson was awake.

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Okay, hope that the story's off to a better start than it was the first time. For those of you joining in for the first time, you can already see that I'm taking some liberties with the way things played out in BoF II, as there were a few things that irked me. Those of you who read the original will note that I've changed yet more stuff around. This will have its explanations, something that I was never very good at in round one. For starters, Ryu's armor change comes from research that I've had to do for some classes and in my free time, which have educated me to the fact that plate armor, does not, in fact, reduce one to a lumbering tank that's helpless if knocked down.

I blame my own lack of common sense mostly.

At any rate. As always, I want to thank you all for reading this far, and hope that I have not caused you to regret the pass few minutes, or become so enraged at the mistakes or problems in this that you take up voodoo against me or hunt down the necromincon for the expressed purposes of sicking Cuthulu upon me.

As stated above, all comments and feedback are welcomed with open arms, as there is much to improve, and peer feedback is the best way to do that.

Thank you all for your time an patience. Until we meet again, have a great day, and stay safe.


	2. A Slight Change of Pace

Okay, took a little bit longer, but I hope it'll be worth the wait. I hope everyone enjoys it, and if anyone can tell me how you get an update notice out about an edited chapter without having to slap an author's note at the end of the story, I'd love to know how.

To those of you who have taken the time to read this story, I want you to know that you have my sincerest thanks, and I hope I didn't cause your brain to have an aneurism or try to shut down. To those of you who reviewed, I hope that I answered your questions to you liking.

Lawyers: you know the drill. I no own, you no sue. Now, on with the show! (crosses fingers).

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Slight Change of Pace

Carefully opening his eyes, the Kaiser Dragon looked around, focusing upon the landscape before it. Awakening from the eternal, dreaming sleep that was his duty meant only one thing: outside interference. Someone wanted entrance to Infiniti.

He spied two individuals before him, both hooded and cloaked. Instinct took over, and his massive head reared back, before rushing forward with speed that seemed impossible for a creature of his size. At the last possible instant, however, Ryu caught a familiar scent, and checked his forward attack. The enormous teeth slammed shut six inches in front of the lead man.

The dragon pulled his head back, and then put it along the ground, bowing as best he could before the figure.

"My apologies, my lord Ladon," his voice was deep, and vibrated the air around them. "I did not recognize you."

The black cloak slipped backwards, revealing a man with blue hair and eyes that seemed to be made of white fire. He chuckled lightly and shook his head.

"No apologies are needed, Ryu," he said with a smile. "I should have stood further back before waking you like that. I forgot how jumpy you could get at times."

"The unalert and sluggish are swift to perish in battle," the dragon rumbled, his snout still to the ground. "That's a lesson that I've been taught many times over the years."

"Indeed," Ladon said, stroking his chin with one hand.

Ryu finally looked up. The deity that was standing before him wore a cheerful grin, and it made the Kaiser instinctively wonder what his God was keeping a secret. Though he, like all Brood, traced their ancestry back to the Dragon God, their patron had always been one of secrets. He had the feeling that Ladon was up to something… again.

"Is something wrong, my lord?" Ryu asked,

The path that led up to the spire emerged from a forest, behind which the small town of Gate lay. At the side of the path, about fifty feet away, was a small box that seemed to be warded against the elements. Its lid was open, and he could see a number of small trinkets inside of it. He stared at them, curious. He saw some items made of varnished wood and burnished metal: they were symbols of peace and well wishing. There were also several other items that would have meant nothing to the casual passer-by, but tore at the Broodling-'s heart.

He saw a small mahogany box, with the lid half off. Inside of it was a small collection of insects, apparently preserved by magic. He recognized it instantly as something that he and Bow had worked on in their free time as children.

There was a small medal there as well, made of bronze and a few semi-precious stones. Two blades were crossed in its center. It bore resemblance to the one he'd received from wining the Corsair gladiatorial challenge at the start of his journey, however long ago that was. This one was slightly dissimilar, the markings at the bottom denoting a different champion: Katt Chuan.

Two books lay next to it. One appeared to be on poetry, the other one a how to guide for magic tricks, pranks, and practical jokes.

The final set of objects made him stop cold. The first was a small dagger with an amulet wrapped around it. The dagger had belonged to his little sister, Yua, as a symbol of her trade as a Shadow Thief. The amulet was the Dragon's Tear. The second pair was just as painful to look at. It was a small, gold ring, and next to it, a black feather that looked as if it could have come from a raven.

"Items of remembrance, from your friends," Said Ladon's companion, "they've visited you rather often."

Ryu looked over to see his hood coming back. It was Elder Kardak, one of the leaders of the Brood forces in Drogen. Ryu had fought alongside him for a time, during their initial arrival at the dragon city. He bowed again out of respect.

"You look well, Elder," he muttered, before glancing back over to the objects.

"Well, I've seen better days," he pointed to a large scar that ran down the side of his face, something Ryu couldn't recall him having the last time they'd talked. "But, for a man who's going to be twelve hundred years old next spring, I don't think I look too shabby."

Ryu smiled a little at the joke, but then turned his attention back to Ladon. The God was still wrapped up in his cloak, his expression unreadable. It seemed as though he was watching the Kaiser.

"My Lord, I'm afraid I still do not understand why you are here," the large dragon said. Then he shook his head and stared back down at the ground.

"Those mementos left by your friends, actually." The God gave a nod towards the collection of trinkets. He paused for a moment, and then took a deep breath. "I've been thinking, Ryu, watching you as you've slept away here—it's been three years since you assumed you duty—and I just can't watch you do it anymore."

"Milord?" Ryu cocked his head and looked at his patron. "I do not understand."

"The fact is, Ryu, there are others who could take your place here, others that could perform this duty. You are not needed, and this," he gestured to the Kaiser's body, wrapped around the spire, "should not be your reward for saving the world. You shed too much blood for this to be your fate."

"But, my lord," said the massive dragon as he shook his head, "how can I abandon my post when my people still shed _their _blood to keep the demons at bay? What makes me any different from them, ultimately?" Just because I was the one who was finally had the luck to defeat Deathevan?"

"You would not be abandoning them, child," Kardak spoke, his voice calm and as he walked up to the dragon. "The surface world is not as peaceful as you would think. Nations war, bandits run free, and pirates roam the seas. Chaos and death are everywhere."

"There is also a small matter of the Saint Evans church," Ladon spoke up. "Though you and your companions shattered much of its organization and decapitated its chain of command, there are still many followers under the sway of the demons. And, regrettably, the forces necessary to combat them cannot be spared from Drogen. Deathevan's demise has not broken the fiends as we'd hoped."

"I see…" Ryu said, his gaze turning towards the horizon, lifting up to where he could see above the trees. "What do you wish of me?"

"First, exercise. Stretch your muscles and your wings and get used to moving again. When you are finished, return here." The God crossed his arms over his chest, and looked out towards the sky.

The sun was nearing its zenith for the day, and Ryu's heart leapt. For in truth, while he knew that his duty was of the utmost importance, he did miss the world. The Kaiser stood, and then stretched. The cracking of bones would be heard for miles, sounding like a rockslide to any who had heard it.

Once he'd stretched, and gotten the blood flowing back into his limbs, Ryu leaped up into the air, leaving a rising plume of dirt and dust behind him.

The sun's rays energized the Broodling as he soared on the thermal currents and dove through the skies. Birds squawked and whole flocks scattered before him, getting chuckles from the Kaiser. Mighty pumps of his long dormant wings propelled him through the air, and he let out a triumphant roar as he spiraled upwards.

He moved up through the clouds, reveling in the feeling of the moisture on his skin. Even as he rose above them, he dipped sideways and let his speed carry him forward so that he could trail his wings through them. Spirals, loops, and countless other maneuvers were performed with grace and agility that belied what a hundred foot creature should have been capable of doing.

He twisted about suddenly, streaking down through the air, picking up speed until the air was roaring in his ears and the clouds, and then finally the ground, rocketed up to meet him. There was no other type of adrenaline rush that could compare to this. He was free of the tyrannous bonds of gravity, free to move in all three planes of reality.

He pulled up well before he would have hit the ground, before banking around and turning back towards Infiniti's entrance.

He landed before Ladon and Kardak, neither of which had moved. Ryu back flapped as gently as he could to keep from landing on them, before getting back down on all fours. Then he shifted back into his human form,

He had never told his friends, not wanting them to be concerned for him, but the transformation to and from his Ascended form was agony. Bones shifted and realigned themselves, as did muscles and organs. Still, he bit back a groan of pain, and when he had returned to human form, he was on one knee before Ladon.

Those who stared at him now would have recognized a soldier. Black plates made of solid adamantine adorned his body. It started with his boots, covered top and bottom with the metal, leading back to hinged ankle plates that would not inhibit his movement. From there, there were form fitting shin guards that wrapped all the way around his legs. These continued up to the kneecaps, where a separate piece of metal covered each of those. Upper thigh armor covered the entire outside and inside of his hips. They couldn't be seen, though, due to the combat skirt that he wore over it, which was made of tough cloth, which was further reinforced by arcane runes and spellwork to grant additional protection with a minimal increase in weight or flexibility problems. His abdominal area was covered by a form fitting set of plates, enchanted, like all Brood-forged armors, to adhere to his body and move like he moved. A separate set of layered plates adorned his upper torso.

His arms and shoulders were protected by large, thick bracers that started at his wrists and continued back to his elbows. Just above them were a set of matched vambraces that continued up to his shoulders, stopping with a trapezoidal plate that stuck up about four inches above them and was about six inches wide, and curved back to cover the front and rear of his arms, as well as the area where his shoulders connected to his torso.

It ended with one of the most bizarre helmets that had ever been seen on the surface world. The helmet had a spherical shape that covered the entirety of the head, but bulged out and curved inwards slightly as it reached the front. This reached around until it got to where the mouth was located, where it ended in an upward arching set six of angled metal strips that stopped at the nose, with a strange mesh covering them, allowing air to comfortably reach the wearer. There was a three inch region around Ryu's eyes that appeared bare, but upon closer inspection, could be seen to be some kind of transparent material, which went back far enough that he could make full use of his peripheral vision.

Dark purple and black runes could also be seen, etched into various portions of the armor along the shoulders, chest, and boots. These served to empower the defensive capabilities of the armor, as well as augment the natural Eldritch abilities of the Brood wearing it.

The plates were complimented by a specially designed fabric that was worn underneath which could absorb impact shock associated with falls, strikes from war hammers, and other blunt force trauma. All in all, the suit of armor plating was designed to ward all but the most dangerous of blows, and was an absolute necessity down in Drogen, where battles with legions of Balrogs, Pit Fiends, and other unsavory beings happened on a nigh hourly basis.

But this time the Brood soldier felt something different, something that was off. He tried to figure it out for a moment, until he felt something scrape softly against the back of his armor. He looked over his shoulder and saw a draconic wing, twitching as if under its own will. Now that he looked at them, he also noticed that there were other changes as well. Claws had formed on his hands, accentuated by the changes in the gauntlets that he wore. His feet had been twisted as well, and now bore partial resemblance to the ones in his Kaiser form. Instead of five claws, though, only the middle two were present, both of them sticking out and ending in sharp, if thick, claw points.

He briefly wondered what would happen if he was to kick someone with them.

"Rise, Ryu," Ladon said, extending a hand and drawing Ryu's attention back to reality. The Kaiser took it and stared into the eyes of his patron. It required that he look up a little bit, as Ladon's humanoid avatar was a few inches taller than him. "A side effect of your long hibernation. Spending such an extended period of time in your Ascended form has worn off, you might say."

Ryu said nothing and moved the various new additions to his body, trying to figure out how best to adjust himself. To his surprise, a potent flap of his wings picked him up off the ground. His eyes widened slightly, and he made a mental note that there would need to be some changes made to his various combat styles as a result of this.

Then the young soldier realized something: while his armor and his gladii blade might have still been with him, the Brood forged blade that he'd carried into battle against Deathevan had not survived the confrontation. He looked down to the empty scabbard handing on the left side of his belt, and frowned.

"Don't worry about your weapons and supplies, I'm not so inept as to send you off without any form of help," Ladon chuckled. He moved his cloak away and pulled out a bag, handing it to Ryu.

Peering inside of it, the young soldier noted that it contained dried venison, various herbs and medicinal teas, a handful of healing potions, and some more rudimentary trail rations.

"Thank you, Milord," he bowed low as he belted the supplies on.

"No need to thank me, Ryu," the God smiled, before reaching back into the depths of his cloak and pulling out a rune blade. The Brood's eyes went wide as he stared at it.

Tentatively, he reached out and took the sword. It was just a hair over three and a half feet long overall, encased in a magnificent blue and gold scabbard. A handle protruded out of this, forged from adamantine, and covered with leather and silk wrappings to aid in gripping.

He slowly drew it from the scabbard, marveling at the hilt and the blade itself. The former was onyx in color, and shaped like the head of a dragon, with a curving cross-guard that had been slightly embossed to resemble talons. The sword protruded out of this, and it appeared to be made from some manner of glowing crystal. The center burned like white fire, but as bright as it was, it didn't hurt to stare at it. Silently, the Broodling marveled at the sword, and took a step back, swinging it. The balance of the sword was perfect, and he effortlessly went through a few warm up routines before holding it out in front of him again.

Ryu stared at the blade for a few moments. Its resemblance was uncanny, but surely Ladon would not give up such a treasure so easily.

"Is this…" he began hesitantly, but not could bring himself to finish the sentence, the blade had him too enraptured to think.

"Yes, Dranak'Tal," Ladon smiled at him. "Forged by my hand and wielded by me during the God War."

"I… I cannot accept this," Ryu extended the blade, pommel first, back to Ladon. "This is too great a sacrifice for you."

"Nonsense, it's not like I get to use it anymore, with that damned Blood-Pact that we've got—" the God stopped, glaring up at the sky before continuing. "At any rate, it'll be doing far more good here than it will up at my halls."

_Yeah, it means I'll finally get to be used for something more than a meat cleaver and a vegetable cutter… _

Ryu jerked his head back at the blade, and held it up before his eyes. The light inside seemed to swirl, almost like it was some kind of mist or ethereal fire. Had the sword just spoken? The history books never mentioned that.

_You'd be surprised what scholars forget to write down, rookie. Now, are you going to keep gawking at me, or are you going get a move on? I've spent the past three thousand years as a mantle ornament. I'm a little eager to get back into the swing of things, if you catch my drift._

"Yes, a powerful weapon," Ladon remarked, and even though he had no pupils or irises to speak of, Ryu could tell that the Dragon God was rolling his eyes. "Able to cut through demonic hide, armor, or falling cloth with equal ease. However, there are times when I question my judgment about giving it a mind of its own." He finished with a frown.

_Oh come on, give me a little credit. I'm not that bad. _The sword giggled maniacally at the end of its statement. _Not as bad as you used to be in your younger days, why, the stories I could tell about you and Myr—_

"Enough!" Ladon barked, his eyes narrowing at the blade.

Ryu couldn't help it. For the first time in years, he laughed. It started up from his gut, and shook itself loose form his throat before he could stop it. It only lasted a few second though, before his soldier's discipline managed to wrestle hold of him again. He went ramrod straight, Dranak'Tal held tightly to one side.

"I'm not upset," Ladon said with a shake of his head. "That sword knows too much about me for my own good. You might have noticed that it could read your thoughts. Do be careful about that. The blade is known for its wild, and occasionally, vindictive sense of humor."

_Hey, I only insult people when they do something stupid… or deserve it… or I can get a laugh from it… or have fun blackmailing them…_

"I rest my case…" Ladon said, putting a hand to his forehead and then sighing deeply. Moving on, the deity waved his hand and produced a heavy cloak, similar to the one he was wearing. "Here, take this. At the moment, with the unrest that spreads through Asparia your best defense and offense is stealth—being able to move around incognito."

"I understand," the Kaiser said, as he removed his empty scabbard and hooked Dranak'Tal back into place. He bowed one more time before his Patron, and then turned to face Kardak.

The Elder wore a proud smile on his face and happily clapped a hand onto the younger Brood's armored shoulder. "No need to thank me, lad," he beamed, winking at him. "You've done your duty. Besides, I daresay I'm getting the easier job here."

"Are things that bad?" Ryu asked, raising and eyebrow and looked at both the Elder and Ladon.

"You'll find out soon enough, Kaiser," Ladon said. His voice was grim. All amusement and mirth had faded from his voice. "I have to go as it is. If I stay out here much longer, and I'm liable to attract attention to myself and what we're doing. This, rest assured, is not in our best interests."

There was no flash of smoke, no bright poof of light, or a loud cracking noise to give warning to the spell. Ladon was simply gone, vanished from the face of the earth. Ryu looked back over to Elder Kardak.

"What's going on?" he asked. "Ladon speaks as if there are unfriendly eyes on us."

"There just might be, lad," Kardak said, shaking his head. "At any rate, we've delayed you long enough. Get a move on, I've got a post to assume."

Ryu bowed low in thanks again, and watched as the old Brood soldier headed over to the base of Infiniti's entrance. Once there, it was only seconds before the man had Ascended into his dragon form and wrapped himself around the base. He was asleep seconds later. Ryu bowed his head out of respect, and made his way over to the mementoes left by his friends.

He reached them and knelt down. A few minutes were spent carefully preparing them for his journey, deciding how best to place them in his packs and supply belts. The books, insect collection, and battle medallion were quickly placed away, but he took an extra moment to secure the dagger that his sister had left, and the Dargon's Tear. The knife was belted onto his right hip, while the Tear itself he carefully placed around his neck.

The stone was one of the greatest artifacts that his people could forge. While the amulet itself, crafted of platinum and expertly shaped to resemble a coiled dragon, would have fetched a fortune at any market, the jewel in the center was the real treasure. The stone was capable of sensing the mood and alignment of an individual, telling if they were happy or sad, confident or frightened, good or evil. It had belonged to his mother, and been left in front of her before she assumed her vigilant guard at the base of the spire.

Ryu shook his head. He missed his mother, hated the demons for robbing him of any semblance of a normal childhood, but dwelling on that would not bring her back. One could only go forward and make the best of life.

He paused again as he came to the next two items: the black feather and the golden ring. He held both in his hands, and just stared at them. The feather caught the mid day light, and though the blackness reflected none of the light, it still shined brightly. He knew who it had belonged to and sighed, and rested the feather close to his chest and gently caressing it with his finger tips. The ring was a Windian signet ring, made of the purest gold, and forged by a master metal smith. In the center of the ring, where a gemstone would normally go, was a magnificent eagle, its wings and talons spread.

He tightened his grip around it, and then placed it carefully within the pocket of one of his belt pouches. The feather soon followed it. He then wrapped the cloak that Ladon had given to him around himself, noticing a convenient hole in the material for the hilt of his gladii to stick out through. When it had been secured, and the cowl of it pulled up over his head, he started out.

* * *

Gate stood before the young dragon, and he found himself saddened by its appearance. The town of his birth had been abandoned. The wooden buildings were already starting to rot without proper maintenance, and the stone ones were not faring much better, sporting chips to their surface. The church was worst of all. It had been virtually demolished by a large tree that had fallen through it some time ago. 

Weeds grew in the fields as well, and the paths that he had played in as a child were utterly overgrown. Within a few more years, less than a decade, Ryu believed the wilderness would have completely reclaimed this area. He hung his head and shook it, before pressing onwards.

He intended to press on for another day or so on foot, until he reached the cave that started this whole crazy life of his. Once he'd stared down that demon, he'd fly up towards Capitan. It was capital city of Calitore, a merchant kingdom that dominated a significant portion of the western edge of the content of Larasa. Gate technically fell under its domain, but the most one ever saw of the Calitorans was the occasional tax collector, and even they were rare. The creatures that lived outside of Gate were rather ferocious, and the large escorts needed to get the collectors safely to and from the border community usually just wasn't profitable.

He jogged past small copses of trees as he moved through the area, but mostly it was solid grassland from here to the mountains.

As he jogged, he remembered bits and pieces of his life: how he had come to be here, what growing up had been like, his journeys with his friends.

Bow and he had wandered around the land, stealing what they could to survive, always moving through the areas, trying to avoid soldier patrols and the like. Looking back, Ryu was surprised just how easy it would have been for them to fall in with a gang of thieves and things have gone from there. Fortunately, that hadn't happened, and by hook, crook, and in many cases, luck, the two of them had eventually arrived in Galen.

It was here they went just a little too far, and were caught trying to steal from the local Ranger's Guild. Bow had been taken in by them, and had been raised as a tracker, huntsman, and scout for the local militia and the very small professional military that the small town employed. That was originally to be Ryu's fate as well, but someone had had other plans.

That someone had been one Duriak Astinara. He was loosely attached to the Guild and the town itself. He commanded the small military units, trained the militia, taught strategy, tactics, and logistics to the locals for a living. He had immediately laid claim to the young boy, and taken him in.

The next fourteen years of Ryu's life had been a mixture of pride, fatigue, and sheer, unadulterated hell. Duriak was a harsh master, teaching the young boy in everything he could. He learned to use all manner of weapons and armor, before eventually settling on emulating his master's style of the rune blade, the galdii shortsword, and a large tower shield. Once that had been decided, they focused on tactics and strategy, learning how to command troops on the battlefield. Ryu learned how to read the terrain, how to always make the enemy fight on his terms, and how best to go after an adversary.

He also learned about the anatomy of the different sentient species on Asparia: what each one's strength was… and how best to kill it. Battles from long finished wars and campaigns were studied, critiqued, and analyzed. Occasionally, he would also be taken out with a Ranger's Guild patrol, to learn how to track, scout and forage. He was adept at this, but he never got as anywhere near good as Bow did.

Duriak had remained almost entirely enigmatic, though, and he'd never learned much about the man. This had irritated him to no end, and all throughout his training, Ryu couldn't help but wonder who his master really was. Why he was having to learn all of this? Duriak had always promised that when the time was right, that he would be told the truth.

But he had never learned it.

Duriak had gone out hunting one day, trying to keep his skills sharp, and had never come back. A Ranger patrol had found him a few days later, at the bottom of a cliff. All the signs pointed to the man just slipping and haven fallen. Though there was no evidence to support it, Ryu had a feeling that something else had happened. His mentor had been somewhat old, but he was still fit and spry, and he couldn't see the old man being taken out by something like clumsiness.

Duriak had left his armor, weapons, and equipment to Ryu in his will. The will had also instructed him to take a sealed letter to the Windian capital. Things had gotten chaotic from there, and he'd been significantly delayed.

In his journeys, though, he'd learned a great deal about his mentor, and it had painted a strange dichotomy of the man. Depending on who you talked to, Duriak either represented all that was good in a soldier, or the nightmare that they could become.

The letter that Ryu had been supposed to deliver had turned out to be a signed note authorizing him to receive a lieutenant's commission into the Windian armed forces. Things, however, had gotten too crazy for him to ever take the job, what with Deathevan's forces rampaging around the world.

He wondered if the opportunity was still open. He would likely need a job after all, and fighting was one of the few things he happened to excel at.

The Broodling's thoughts went out to his other companions, and what they must have been doing at this time. Katt had apparently achieved her dream of becoming a champion gladiator, but what of the others? What were they doing? Had Bow gone back to the rangers? What had happened between him and Katt? The two had a budding relationship when he had…left.

And what of Sten? Had the Highlander ever made peace with himself for what had happened at Moonhawk? Had he ever come to understand that it wasn't his fault? That dying there wouldn't have changed anything?

One by one, his thoughts drifted over them, until he had at last arrived at Nina. He didn't stop running through the plains, but there was a noticeable change to his gait. What had become of her? Had her parents finally accepted her for what she was? Was she allowed within the capital, the Empire itself, even, without having to risk losing her head just because of the color of her wings? She was the only heir to the Imperial throne left, now, because of what happened to her sister. What would happen if they still believed in that legend when the time came for Emperor Tolvin to step down?

And what of…

He shook his head. Best not to think of that. It would be complicated at best, and musing about it by himself would solve nothing.

He kept treading onward, moving east. The sun was beginning to set, but he felt no fatigue. As night began to fall, his Brood heritage began to show itself slightly, as the world changed, becoming a myriad of various different colors. Heat vision, a result of his Brood physiology. With this, he could keep running until his body finally demanded a rest.

* * *

&

* * *

Okay, hope that was better than it was the first time. The changes that I've been making should be starting to become evident now, always, advice on how best to improve those changes and the story itself, as well as ideas and constructive critisicms, are welcomed with the humblest of thanks. Even flames are taken, as its getting a little chilly down here in Florida (last week saw us get down in the twenties (I know that not cold for some of you, but for a place that has 105 summers with humidity so high your sweat never evaporates, that's bloody cold). 

At any rate, I wish all of you the best of luck and happiness in life until we meet again. Until then, stay safe.


	3. Fear of the Dark

Hello again everyone. Same ole, same ole here. Finally on Spring break, so between looking for volunteer opportunities and future employment, maybe I can get some more work done.

Glad that everyone's liking the revisions so far, and I hope that I can keep it that way.

* * *

**Fear of the Dark**

* * *

The cave stood before him, a yawning portal twelve feet in height, and half again that in width. Its yawning blackness was even greater than that of the darkness around him, and though his heat vision easily penetrated it, the Brood could not help but shiver. It was on a stormy night nearly two decades ago that he and Bow had come here. They had sought shelter from the storm in this cave.

But shelter had not been forthcoming. Unknown to them, a massive demon, Barubary, had taken up residence within the cave. The creature had laid in ambush for them, and even to this day, Ryu could remember those three enormous eyes staring down at him. He could also remember the massive claws that could tear through a stone wall in seconds, and the tail that ultimately killed him that night.

He still bore the scars over his chest from where the barbed tail had impaled him and ripped out his heart. That had been what had first awakened the beast hidden inside of himself. He'd always found it strange that a Brood had to taste of the cup of death before it could attain its true power.

After that, his memories were a blank, just blackness, and a deep, rumbling voice that would forever haunt his nightmares. They had come frequently always left him awake and panting for breath. It had not been until he had confronted the demon again that he'd laid the nightmares to rest.

The memories of that battle were burned into his brain…

* * *

Ryu rolled to the side, and not half a second later a massive, scorpion-like tail buried itself into the ground. The Brood soldier leapt up to his feet and hacked away at the appendage with both of his swords. The weapons, which could cut through stone and metal like neither was truly there, merely bounced off the tail. One set of strikes was all that he got, before he found himself sprinting through the cavern again. A pair of slashes from the demon's claws sent sparks flying and left deep groves in the stone floor.

Barubary's fang filled maw opened wide, and from it came a blast of pure cold. The air temperature of the entire area dropped noticeably, and Ryu could suddenly see his breath coming out through the breathing holes in his helmet. The floor behind him grew slick, and he knew that he would never be able to doge the attack. The ice enveloped him, and he bit back a scream of agony. The chill would have frozen an ordinary human being solid, and as it was, it made his whole body stiff and his muscles cramp painfully.

His nemesis leapt up past him, his four legs sinking deep into the stone. The scorpion tail lashed out again, and only with a last minute, backwards vault did Ryu manage to avoid being impaled a second time. He lashed out again with his rune blade, and managed to catch the demon between the plates of his armor. The sharp edge bit in deep, sending a spray of black ichor throughout the room.

If the wound bothered the demon at all, he didn't let it show, and the battle continued without interruption.

Ryu was able to catch a quick glance of everyone behind the barrier that separated them. A second one was at the far end of the chamber, and it sealed the room off from any possible demonic reinforcements. Barubary wanted a true test of their abilities, with no outside interference.

Not that the Kaiser was complaining. He wasn't certain what species of demon or devil Barubary was, but the creature had demonstrated resilience, cunning, and power that were far and wide above the norm.

Another blast of icy breath filled the chamber, but this time Ryu was ready for it. He jumped up, flipping over the great hellspawn's head and landing squarely on its back. With all of his strength, he jammed his twin swords into the small gaps between his foe's plates, and twisted the weapons. A slight crack opened up, and in a fraction of a second, Ryu had focused his will and sent a blast of Eldritch power straight into the demon's body.

That had gotten a reaction. Barubary had roared in pain, but the slight victory had been short lived. Ryu tried to evade the counter strike that he knew was coming, but the tail moved faster than he'd anticipated. It swatted him from the demon's back and slammed him into the wall of the cavern with enough force that he knew if it hadn't been for his armor, he would have broken his spine.

Even so, he was dazed, and weaponless, and his head felt like it had just been cracked open. He could feel blood trickling down his face, partially obscuring his vision. He tried to summon up the power that ran through his body, but he couldn't focus through the pain. What followed was a trickle, rather than the torrent that he'd need to crack that shell. Barubary didn't register the attack as anything more than a tickle.

Ryu stumbled to his knees. Panting heavily, and he could hear his foe tsking slightly.

"So much potential wasted," the demon remarked, and Ryu noted that Barubary was still keeping a healthy distance, as if he suspected a trick. "I thought you might prove a challenge, boy. A challenge that I've been sorely lacking all these years. You have courage it seems, but without power, that courage is useless. I taught you that lesson all those years ago when I left your broken body in that cave." He paused and shook his head. "I see that it failed to sink in… a pity."

He could hear pounding on the barrier and look to see Nina, Katt, and Bow smashing against it with their weapons and spells. The others looked too horror stricken to do much of anything.

"It seems that your friends want to join us quite badly…" he remarked, rubbing his claws up against his chin. "Perhaps they would also care to join you in your defeated and broken state? I desperately need something to test myself against… perhaps the mutt, or that winged girl…" He reached up with his tail, split the dagger-like end apart into three separate sections, and pulled the two weapons out of his back as he spoke.

Rage flowed through the young man's limbs, giving him new strength. He spat a glob of blood out through his faceplate, and struggled back up to his feet. He could feel the power starting to flow through his body. Calling on it like this was dangerous, but what did he have to gain by lying down and just taking this?

"You should have left them out of this, hellspawn," the Kaiser whispered.

Everyone paused as an amplified heartbeat echoed through the chamber. Barubary turned, his demonic features twisted into a smile. He reassumed his combat stance as the noise echoed again. Ryu's eyes could be seen burning behind the transparent metal of his helmet. They were pure white, and energy of the same color sprang up and surrounded his body. His armor faded revealing a body that was twisting a mutating. A tail and wings tore their way out of his body, and his hips and legs changed, the bones shifting with an audible crack. Fingernails became talons, and teeth became fangs. In a few more seconds, it was all over.

Before Barubary, in all its ferocious glory, was a Kaiser dragon.

"Excellent, most excellent," the demon said, a smile still on his three eyed face. "A Kaiser. I never believed I'd ever have the opportunity to square off against one of your kind." He motioned with his claws. "Come then, Ryu, let's see what the so called 'Destined Child' is capable of."

Ryu was only too happy to oblige. His digigrade legs gripped the stone, got a good purchase, and then released as he launched himself towards his opponent. Bursts of energy wrapped around his claws as he closed the distance, and he saw the demon brace himself.

The two slammed into each other with enough force to rattle the entire chamber. The Kaiser dragon raked its claws across Barubary's form in rapid succession. The first two were blocked by the massive, shield like armor plates on the demon's forearms, but the third blade managed to catch him along the chest. It sliced in, cut deep into the demon's flesh and sent blood flying.

Ryu's nemesis growled in retaliating with his own swipes and his chilling breath weapon. Nothing came of it though, aside from some deformation of the dragon's belly scales. Growling, Barubary lashed out with his tail. The dragon blurred out of the way and barely dodged the strike. The Brood soldier tried to retaliate by biting into his foe's neck, but Barubary anticipated this move, and the demon leapt backwards. He scuttled sideways like a crab, summoning his own magicks, and letting them coil around his claws before he blasted them out towards Ryu.

The Kaiser barely twisted out of the way of the destructive energy bursts. They bit into a few of the stone pillars that were scattered throughout the chamber. Stone melted and vaporized before the fury of the blasts, sending lava flying and filling the air with poisonous fumes. Neither combatant cared, though. There was only their opponent and nothing else in all the multi-verse.

There was a few seconds pause as both of them shifted back and forth eyeing the other, plotting their next moves. Barubary struck first, sending out a blast of fire and mixing it with a wave of cold from his mouth. Ryu evaded and retaliated with his own, sending a lightning bolt scorching along the demon's chest. Amplified by the abilities of a Kaiser in Ascended form, the spell was packing the power to wipe a city block from the face of the planet.

The bolt picked Barubary up and blasted him all the way across the chamber. He smashed through a number of stone pillars, before finally getting buried into the wall. Chunks of stone the size of houses fell down on the top of the demon, burying him beneath them. It didn't keep him down for long though, and he surged out from underneath them, flipping around and attaching himself to the ceiling. He let out a massive roar and charged.

Ryu fired off blasts of fire from his clawed hands, guiding the balls in with his mind and will. Even though he was moving upside down, though, Barubary evaded them all, always dodging at the last second. The only work that Ryu had to show for his work was a series of dripping glass craters along the ceiling.

Barubary lunged. Again, Ryu braced, and the two of them rolled along the floor, snarling, gnashing, mauling, and slashing at each other. Black and red blood mixed equally, leaving giant puddles of it splattered all over the ground. Both of them were roaring in pain and fury, struggling to exert mastery of their nemesis.

Eventually, the two rolled free of each other, and stood up. As before, the demon started the next round. This time though, he underestimated the speed of his opponent. He struck out with his tail, aiming for the exact spot where he had impaled Ryu those many years ago. The Kaiser was too quick, though, and grabbed the tail just behind the barbed spines on it.

His second hand followed, and before Barubary could react, Ryu had spun around and sent the demon flying headfirst into the far end of the room. The fiend was dazed, and this was his chance. The young soldier felt all of his power start to surge up, and he held it back for just a moment, though purple black energy could be seen seeping past his fangs.

He let the blast come out. Barubary had just managed to turn around when he saw it coming at him. He didn't jump, move, or twist. There was no time for that. There wasn't even time to scream.

The beam impacted and detonated. If the demon roared in agony as the destructive blast of raw power surged through his body, it was drowned out by the roar that the attack made. For several seconds Ryu kept pouring it on his nemesis, until the beam finally came to an end. He stood there panting, a faint smile twitching on his face.

The barrier that separated him from his companions fell, and Nina soared through, coming up by his head, while the rest followed on foot.

"You did it!" she exclaimed, floating over and rubbing his scaled head.

Ryu spared her a glance, before he focused back the debris that had once again fallen on top of the demon. "He's not out yet." There was a harsh growl to his voice, overly harsh, perhaps. He'd better apologize to her later.

There was a moment of confusion from her as she looked at him strangely.

"No… but I soon will be."

At the sound of the voice, the cheering stopped. The debris shifted, and Barubary emerged. There was a collective dropping of jaws from everyone present. A Kaiser's breath weapon was nothing to sneeze at. Properly applied, it could wipe a city from the face of the map or turn a mountain into a pit of blackened glass and molten magma… and yet Barubary had survived.

As the demon drew closer, though, the group realized that "survived" was only to be used in the most liberal of interpretations. The demon was a mess, to say the least. His armor shell was cracked and burnt off, exposing a myriad of fried internal organs that were now struggling to keep him alive. Half of his face had been reduced to little more than a skeletal visage, and where the three eyes had been there was now nothing more than a trio of bloody, cauterized sockets. One of his forearms appeared to have been completely vaporized, as had two of his legs, and he was coughing up black blood as he struggled to cross the distance between them.

The demon didn't have the strength, and collapsed about four hundred feet away from them. He turned his blind gaze towards them. Hearing the Kaisers tired, somewhat pained breathing and focusing on that.

"Ryu…allow me to congratulate you." He said, taking a deep, wet breath that was followed by a hacking cough. A pool of blood splattered on the ground in front of him and he tried vainly to pick himself back up on his one remaining arm. "It has been many centuries since a single adversary dared to face me in combat by choice, let alone wound me. I would salute your bravery if I had the strength, and the spare arm necessary for such a gesture," he chuckled deeply before spewing more gore on the ground before him. He took another deep and ragged breath.

"I understand now why you are the Destined Child, and I am satisfied that…if I had to die…at least…I went down in single combat, against a worthy opponent." The demon's voice was becoming fainter, his breathing more struggled. His lungs were filling up with ichor. Still, he kept staring right at Ryu, his mutilated visage managing a broken smile. "Your…mother…would be proud of you…Kaiser. This…may sound strange…but, I wish you…luck…in your coming battle…with my…master…"

The demon's form shook and then he collapsed against the ground. There was one more ragged breath, and then a slow hiss as it came out. It was finally over, Ryu thought to himself. Sixteen years of torment, fear, and anxiety were now gone. He reverted back to his human form, grunting slightly at the myriad of wounds he sported. Still, the others quickly mended his wounds while Nina tried to patch up his damaged armor.

* * *

Barubary's dying words had always stuck with him. It went against all logic, but in hindsight, it seemed as if the demon had had a strange sense of honor that he clung to. The fiend's desire to face him "man to man" as the saying went, the thrill in his eyes as Ryu had transformed. And then there were other things that didn't seem to stack with demons, such as Bow. By all rights, the young Grass-Runner shouldn't have survived their encounter with the beast. Barubary had no need of him, and most hellspawns seemed to take delight in inflicting torture and suffering upon those who didn't deserve it, children in particular.

Ryu shook his head, and pulled himself back into the present.

Now there was only this final obstacle to pass, and then he would be rid of this forever. He stared into the caves depths, his green eyes narrowed to a glare and started forward.

_Finally! I though you were going to stand there gawking till Armageddon commeth._

"I can see why Ladon warned me about you," Ryu remarked, glaring down at the sword.

_Well, forgive me if I get a little bored, I want some action, and it's not exactly like I can take up juggling. _

The Brood soldier rolled his eyes, and took his first steps inside the cave. His heat vision had not been gifted to him when he'd gone in the first time, starting only after he'd reached the age of eight. The cave wasn't really all that large, just a tunnel that curved and twisted inwards for about a hundred feet, before opening up into a main chamber that was about a hundred and fifty feet in all directions. In hindsight, Ryu found himself wondering how Barubary had ever managed to fit in here in the first place.

Perhaps the demon had some means of changing his size? Or possibly, he was even capable of polymorphing himself into a humanoid form?

He stopped in his tracks, all thoughts of the past forgotten. He sniffed the air, smelt something foreign, and took another, deeper breath.

A trio of echoing roars raced down the tunnel. He knew that scream, and he mentally swore.

He rounded the corner and found himself staring at a chimera, a three headed beast native to this region of the continent. It appeared to have taken up residency here, judging by the number of bones that were piled up in a far corner, and did not appreciate the intrusion into its lair. It got up on all fours, and bounded over to Ryu.

The Kaiser had drawn Dranak'Tal with such speed that to the untrained, it would have looked as if the blade had just appeared in his hand.

_Yes! _The blade shouted, and Ryu swore he could its bloodlust. _After three thousand years, the sword master is back in action! _

Ryu said nothing, but focused his powers, and called on his Eldritch skills. The rune on his left bracer glowed for a second, and then with a dark flash, a scutum appeared, already wrapped around his wrist. The Brood soldier shifted his weight and brought the shield in front of him, hunching slightly until only his eyes stuck up above it. Dranak'Tal was cocked back, ready to bit deep into the thick hide the moment it was swung.

Bow had taught him much about these creatures during their travels three years ago. If memory served, it would try to use its breath weapons to weaken him, before closing in for the kill.

Its massive twenty foot long body was easily propelled through the air by its legs and wings, and a moment later it attacked. It's eagle head opened its mouth and spat a blast of lightning at the Kaiser, who braced against his shield as it impacted. The electricity swarmed over the scutum, ran through the armor, and then into the ground.

The creature was clever, though, and realized that the lightning was useless against this potential meal. The next strikes came from the lion and snake heads, which spat gouts of fire and acid respectively. This time, Ryu dove off into the side of the cave, trying to lure the creature into the narrower regions where its large bulk could be used against it.

It followed, spraying more fire and acid at him. The young soldier weaved and dodged as it moved towards the side of the cavern, where a series of interlocking stalactites and stalagmites made a narrow tunnel about fifteen feet wide. The creature followed, and he found himself forced to roll underneath a stream of acid. The rocks behind him hissed, popped, and dissolved, filling the air with an acrid stench that burned at his lungs and nose.

He ignored it though. If he wasn't careful, there would be more to worry about than just a foul smell in the air. He leaped out of the way of a blast of flames, retreating into the slight tunnel. The creature seemed to hesitate for a moment, then its hunger, or anger, whichever was driving it at the moment, got the better of it. It followed him inside.

Ryu acted, sticking his shield up in front of him and charging. The lion's head exhaled and blast of orange fire at him. He ducked down behind his shield as he felt the heat try to wrap around the shield and consume him. His armor was shielded against intense elements to a degree, but he took care not to inhale and scorch his lungs. The beast kept the stream of fire on him, but the Kaiser had judged the distance well and suddenly rolled forward.

His armor moved like a second skin, catching the creature off guard. Dranak'Tal seemed to sing as it cleaved through the air, bit deep into the creature's neck, and passed through it without even slowing down.

A scream of pain that was almost deafening echoed through the cavern, and the beast backed up, twitching and wobbling about on unsteady legs as it tried to back away from its prey. Only now did it realize its peril. The eagle-like wings on its back unfurled, and it was about to take to the air, but Ryu never gave it the chance. He dove forward again, slipping underneath the twin blasts of acid and lightning, and past its flailing claws.

His scutum vanished with a thought and then the Brood soldier drew his gladii. The nineteen inch blade stabbed upwards, burring itself into the abdomen of the creature. He twisted, ripping a massive hole in its guts, and spilling its blood all over the ground. At the same time, Dranak'Tal was plunged into the creature's flanks and dragged down, opening up a gapping wound and causing most of the creature's intestines to spill out.

But Ryu wasn't finished yet. Even dying, chimeras could be lethal, and it still had two heads left. He rolled out from underneath the creature, barely managing to avoid the thrashing lashes of its hind feet, and jumped up on its spine. The beast gave a surprised squawk, and twisted to face him, both heads inhaling and ready to shower in with electricity and acid.

The crystalline rune blade in his left hand flashed down and cut into the chimera's back. It severed the spinal cord, causing the entire rear of the creature to collapse, and throwing the two heads off balance.

It would prove fatal, as Ryu leapt forward, and stabbed his short sword into the brute's eagle head. He kicked off, leaving the blade stuck in its brain and shifting Dranak'Tal into a two handed grip. He flipped around as he passed the served stump of the leonine head, bringing the blade down vertically as the dying snake tried to line him up.

With the momentum behind the swing and the blade's razor honed edge, it never got the chance, and was severed at the neck.

He landed and twisted, glaring back at his foe. The body shook and spasmed wildly. It tried to rise, crawl towards him, retreat, all at once, and became a tangle of frantically twisting necks and limbs. After a few more seconds it collapsed entirely, though it continued to flop around for a while after that as the nerves twitched and died.

_Ahhh, nothing like a workout to make you feel useful again. _Dranak'Tal said, giggling fiendishly as it finished.

Ryu gave a sigh, and carefully approached the avian head, ripping his shorter blade out. He cleaned both of them quickly, and then stuck them back in their scabbards. Then he drew the knife Yua had left for him and headed over towards the reptilian head. Its mouth still opened and closed weakly, so the Brood soldier knew that he'd have to be careful if he didn't want to get reflexively bitten.

The reptilian head could also secrete a potent venom through its fangs, capable of inflicting immense damage to the nerves and muscles of its prey. This toxin was stored in a pair of glands located just underneath its eyes. With a little bit of skill, the Brood soldier would be able to remove them.

He wasn't a big fan of using poisoned blades, but he knew that it could provide him with an immense advantage in battle. The words of his mentor echoed through his head as he carefully cut the glands out of the reptilian cranium.

"_The only unfair fight is the one that you don't walk away from…" _

Once both venom glands had been properly stored, the Brood soldier moved out, easing past the still twitching carcass and heading out into the main chamber. He moved over the beast's lair, and decided to see if there was anything of value there. Despite the danger, many people hunted chimeras. Their claws were often used in the alchemical experiments of wizards, and their hides made for excellent protection against the elements. There was also, of course, immense bragging rights in saying that you hunted one of the most dangerous creatures that walked, crawled, or flew on the face of Asparia.

Naturally, there was a rather steep learning curve to this trade, and even veterans knew that a single slip up meant death.

There wasn't a whole lot among the bones and waste near its nest, though he did spot a few human carcasses. The Brood soldier said a small prayer for them, and then sorted through. A few small gems, a couple of hunks of acid touched gold, silver, and copper, that might have been coins at one point in time, no signs of any armor or weapons that might prove useful. He took the few bits of money he could find and started off again.

Capitan was just a few days away by the way the dragon flew, and Ryu had every intention of getting back into the events of the world as quickly as possible.

* * *

&

* * *

Okay, hope that was a good replacement for the original. After this is where things really start to change between this one and the original version.

At any rate, thank you again, everyone, and I hope and pray you have a safe week.


	4. Family Reunion

(walks out, smiling sheepishly)

Hello again, everyone. Sorry for the long time inbetween updates, but the last month has been absolute hell on me. I have been thus far unable to write as much as I'd like, and I've been blasted by my second set of midterms. Hopefully though, the chapter's size will make it worthwhile (this things about 9,000 words long, and takes up 21 pages of my word processor)

At any rate, I want to once again thank everyone who took the time to read the story, and I hope that it was up to snuff. For those of you who left reviews, you have my sincerest gratitude.

Boo, RogueKaiser, thank you as well, and if you've got questions that you'd like to have answered, just leave me an e-mail address. Regretfully, policy has changed to where I am not allowed to respond on the chapter page anymore, for reasons I cannot fathom. I deeply apologize for this.

Lawyers- Ye knoweth the drill, refer thee to previous chapters if ye be requiring a disclaimer…

And with that out of the way, here's chapter four.

* * *

**Family Reunion**

* * *

The trip to Capitan took him three days of nonstop flying. The journey had taken a little longer than as the crow flew, mostly due to the amount of time that he'd had to spend weaving through mountains and around villages to avoid being spotted.

Fatigue was finally starting to wear on him though. The large Kaiser came to rest on a peak, and down below it, could see the deep harbor and cove that made up Capitan's largest financial asset. Warships moved in and out of the deep water and with his draconic vision, Ryu could see the ballistae and cannons up on their decks. There were merchant vessels as well, and some pleasure yachts owned by the rich merchants and guilds.

Capitan's many mercantile enterprises held a significant chunk of the city's power, but the ultimate power of their kingdom lay with their ruler, Henry McNeil the Third. It was he who commanded the armies, delegated taxes, and handled the other intricacies of government.

The dragon's lips curled up into a sneer and he glared down at the city. Rumors of corruption and exploitation by the merchant guilds and McNeil had reached his ears even before he and Bow had set out on that fateful journey to find Suzy all those years ago. Thieves and assassins operated openly, with buildings set up in the heart of the city. The streets were controlled by the soldiers, with the various captains and generals always vying against one another in their quest for power, and the consequences of such be damned.

Ryu shifted back to his human form. From his place on the mountain, he spotted the easiest trail to approach the city. From there, it would be a six or seven mile jog to the city gates.

He'd wrestle with the guards for a little bit as they tried to do everything in their power to make his wait an uncomfortable one, use the funds he'd acquired in the chimera's den to find himself a inn, and get some rest. From there, his next move was probably to fly to Windia, and see what Emperor Tolvin was up to, and if that job offer was still on the table.

* * *

Walking at a comfortable pace, he was able to cross the distance in a little more than two hours. There wasn't much of a line to get in, fortunately, and he approached the guards swiftly.

His helmet was off, tucked safely away in case anyone recognized the origins of the armor, and the hood of his cloak thrown back. A couple of days ago, he'd foreseen the necessity to dye his hair to be a less conspicuous color, and with the aid of a few herbs, it was now dark brown in appearance. It wouldn't last long like that, but with luck, he'd be long gone before the false color started to fade. His gauntlets and boots could pass for artistic variations on his gear, so he wasn't worried about that.

He reached the entrance to the city, noticing that the gate seemed to have been reinforced since the last time that he was here, and that there were guards everywhere. Something was going on that was pretty big.

"Name?" the guard asked, sounding perfectly bored with his duty.

"Kale Romar," Ryu said, looking at the man with a neutral expression. If this went south, he'd need to shift to his backup plan quickly.

"Occupation?"

"Soldier for hire." He crossed his arms underneath his cloak and shifted slightly.

"Mercenary," the man muttered, writing the information down on a sheet of paper. "Reason for visit?"

"Planning to enlist on a ship. I hear that they're looking for sword arms to keep the pirates away," the soldier said.

"That they are. Tell me though, have you considered keeping your feet on the ground?" the man raised an eyebrow at him. "With the war raging against the Windian Empire, the king is looking for anyone who can use a weapon."

It was a struggle to keep his face neutral. "No," Ryu said, shaking his head back and forth. "Pirates are one thing… battle hardened Windian heavy infantry and gryphonriders? Those are quite another. Little too dangerous for my tastes."

"You sure? The loot that's come back from sacking the border villages and trade route raids could get a man set for a long time." Another one of the guards said, leaning slightly on his spear.

Once more, he had to struggle to keep his expression neutral. "All the gold in the world can't help someone who's dead, now then can it?"

The guards said nothing, but waved him through. It was tempting to breathe a sigh of relief, but he didn't. As soon as he was clear of them though, he frowned and started to puzzle over what he'd been told.

There was so much going on here that it didn't make sense. He knew the capabilities of the Calitorans' kingdom, and while it was impressive, they had nothing that could match the power of the Windian Empire. When Duriak had left for Galen, he'd left the Empire in good hands and a well fortified position. As far as Ryu had been able to tell, that position hadn't changed. The Empire should have been able to squash any attempted incursion into their territory.

How were the Calitorans doing this?

He'd just have to keep his ears open for rumors and see if there was something that he could do to aid his old allies. Right now, it was time for some rest, and probably some food.

His stomach chose that exact moment to growl like an untamed beast.

_Speaking of food…_

"How many times have I told you to stop reading my thoughts without my permission?" Ryu hissed at the blade, making certain that no one overheard him on the streets.

_Honestly? I'm not sure, I lost track after about five hundred and seventy something._

He rolled his eyes. He'd have to have a chat with Ladon at some point, and see if there wasn't some way that he could shut the sword up, or at least limit its mind reading capacities.

He was simply grateful that he'd found out that no one could hear it except for people with Brood blood in their veins. At least he wouldn't have to worry about it giving away his position, or his identity.

He went closer to the center of the city. Slums and seedy pubs dominated this sector of the city, and he would likely find a cheaper and less conspicuous place to stay there. Sure, he would have to worry about pickpockets, but he didn't have much to pick that wasn't attached to his person.

He noticed the increased number of guard patrols. The Calitorans had become increasingly paranoid. Perhaps this was evidence that all was not well? That would explain why the man was interested in recruiting him at the gates. He shook his head again. Another of Duriak's lessons had been to never employ mercenaries in your battles. Even home grown citizen soldiers or militia were to be taken over them, because at least their loyalty was to Emperor and Empire, and not to the day's wages, and little that Ryu had seen in his journeys disagreed with what his mentor had said.

After a few minutes he found a disreputable looking inn with a sign so battered that he couldn't make out the name. He walked up the door and opened it, peering inside.

The interior of the inn was smoke filled from a rather ill-kept fireplace, and full of raucous laughter from sailors, and what appeared to be more than a few thieves busying themselves with gambling, staring at the bottom of their flagons, or entertaining themselves with serving girls.

The Brood soldier frowned. Ryu didn't want to make a mess of things and start a fight by breaking some sod's fingers when he tried to pick his pocket, so he settled on an alternative plan. He felt within himself, and called upon his Dragonawe Aura. It was an ability innate to all Ascended Brood, but using it in the human form took a great deal of concentration and focusing of will, so it wasn't used often. The Aura could induce supernatural fear into an opponent, or it could be used to bolster and rally friendly troops and allies.

Certain that it was turned up to a level that would ward potential thieves, he stepped through the door. Laughter stopped as greedy eyes settled on him. The men and women inside noticed his quality plate armor, and the bag at his side. Greed turned to uneasiness as he drew near and the Aura fell over them. In some cases the expressions went so far as abject terror. One man even spilled his ale all over himself as Ryu walked within a foot of him.

He narrowed his eyes as his gaze settled on the man behind the bar. The man's hands shook slightly as he refilled a mug of ale and placed it on the counter.

"How much for a room?" Ryu asked.

"How long are you planning on staying?" There was a slight stutter to the man's voice, but he was clearly used to dealing with dangerous situations and frightening individuals. Not surprising considering the rabble in this place.

Ryu frowned. He'd forgotten that places like this usually rented out rooms based on hourly rates. He reached down into bag, and drew out a hunk of melted silver from it. It was about the size of a standard silver zenny coin, maybe a little thicker. He tossed it to the barkeep, who picked it up and bit into it. Satisfied about its authenticity, the man reached up and grabbed a key from a rack next to his head.

"That'll get you a full night and most of tomorrow, sir. Third floor, first room on the right side of the hallway," he said, gesturing in the proper direction.

"Thank you." Ryu gave a nod of his head and headed up.

The room was everything he expected it to be: a bare, Spartan room, devoid of anything that resembled furnishings aside from the bed. A myriad of odors assaulted his sensitive nose as he stepped inside the room. He grimaced and coughed a bit.

_What do you smell?_

"I'm not sure… and to be frank, I don't think I _want_ to know." Ryu drew over to the bed, noting that it was a threadbare sheet that covered it. The bed was probably uncomfortable and the straw likely was in desperate need of being changed.

He'd bet hard money it was probably also _swarming_ with fleas and lice.

He sat down on the hardwood floor, and pulled a bit of dried venison out of his bag. He ate until his stomach stopped rumbling, and then lay down on the floor. He was asleep in seconds.

* * *

The Kaiser's eyes shot open and his hands went reflexively to his weapons. There was nothing. He was alone in his room.

_Jumpy much?_

Ryu didn't answer the sword, but got to his feet and pulled his helmet out of his bag. He put it over his head and secured it. Then he moved around to the window. There was something in the air, something that caused a tingle in his spine. His instincts and sixth sense were telling him that something was up.

"_Trust your instincts… you'll be surprised how often they're right."_

Ryu remembered his master's words well, and moved over to the window. There were bars on it, probably to keep thieves and various "second-story men" from entering without permission. A few slashes from Dranak'Tal, however, made short work of them.

_Thank you. It has always been my life's dream to assist someone with breaking and leaving… _

"Quiet." Ryu's eyes glared around, sticking to the infrared spectrum. It was a moonless, overcast night, and it would have been nearly pitch black were it not for the lamps in the main sector of the city. The Brood soldier hopped up into the window, squeezed himself out, and took to the air. He landed on the top of a disused temple, using its large spire to see if there was some manner of commotion going on. He didn't see anything at first but he kept staring. Something had awoken him, and there was something not right in the world.

He heard it faintly, coming from the northeast. He twisted and looked over to see a number of guard patrols rushing through the streets holding torches. Frowning, Ryu began to scan the city streets and the allies that he could see.

He saw someone running through the back allies about five hundred feet ahead of them. The person was taking great pains not to be found, but the number of guards seemed to ensure detection at every turn.

He walked along, moving slowly as the soldiers flanked out and tried cutting off all avenues of escape. When the chase had moved beyond his ability to see, he took to the air, keeping himself aloft with his wings.

The fleeing individual had taken to the roofs, and was dancing over them with a speed and grace that defied belief. The build suggested a female, though he couldn't tell for certain, as the person's face and head was covered by a some kind of cloth and leather headgear that seemed vaguely familiar.

Then something made him stop short.

As the girl leapt from one room and grabbed onto a windowsill that could not have stuck out more than a quarter of an inch, he saw wings spread behind her back and flutter outwards. They were membraned, like his own, but somewhat smaller, and she only appeared to be capable of gliding rather than outright flight.

…Could it be?

Arrow fire from towers began to hiss by her, driving her from the rooftops and back into the allies. Ryu dove down as he saw guards converging on her position. A pair of throwing daggers quickly nestled into the hearts of men clad in chain mail, and she tried to break past them.

Reinforcements however, cut her off before she could break through. She drew a pair of short, one edged swords from her back as the Kaiser landed behind the group

"Give it up, you little devil," one of the soldiers said, brandishing a large blade. "Did you really think you could steal plans like that and just waltz out of here?" His voice was sneering. "Surrender now, and we may kill you quickly. Keep this up… and our torturers will have a few pleasant rounds with you."

"You think you're a match for me? Then come and get me!" She flourished her blades and rose up on the balls of her feet.

Ryu's eyes widened. He'd suspected that it might be her, the wings, blades, and the dark leather armor matched the last equipment he'd seen her with… but the voice was the clincher.

"Yua…" he breathed.

His little sister. The girl that had been separated from him for years. His eyes began to burn with an inner fire, and he drew Dranak'Tal and his gladii from their scabbards.

The noise was heard by the two or so dozen soldiers that were surrounding her, and several turned to face him, including the leader.

"What's this?" he asked. "Ohh… you have a partner?" He looked back over to the Shadow Thief. "Well, two for the price of one. The king is going to give us more gold than we know what to do with for this."

"Wealth doesn't benefit a dead man," the Kaiser growled. "If you value your heart beating and your lungs drawing breath, step away from her… now…"

"You have no idea who you're messing with, pal." The sergeant in charge of the group snarled.

"Neither do you." He narrowed his eyes to a glare.

"Get him!" the man shouted.

Three soldiers broke away from the group. Two had axes, one a spear, and all wore splint mail. The Brood soldier focused on them, his mind analyzing every detail that he could, looking for any weakness that he could exploit, while simultaneously assuming one of the battle stances he'd been taught. Steel Heart seemed appropriate in this case, a defensive style.

The first one raised his large battle axe above his head and prepared to try and cleave his skull open. Ryu twisted like he was going to dodge left, and then shifted the other direction at the last second. Simplistic, but effective. The man guessed wrong, and stumbled by him. His gladii came in, and buried itself into the man's spine.

Ryu ripped the blade to the side, spilling entrails all over the cobblestone street behind him. He caught the next battle axe against the parrying blades of Dranak'Tal, before ripping the weapon out of the man's hands. His subsequent actions were a blur. The rune blade dove in, sliced through the splint mail of the man's shoulder, and continued until it emerged just above the right hip. He fell apart in the street as Ryu charged past, heading for his final adversary.

The man tried to block with his spear, but the thick wood didn't even exist as far as his weapons were concerned. They carved through it, and took the man's head from his shoulders.

_Clean up on alley six, we've got us some gushers here._

Ryu didn't even spare the three bodies behind him a glance. He just glared at the sergeant, his eyes formed into a hate filled glare.

"Last chance. _Back. Off._" He brandished the two swords, and let the men see the blood dripping off their edges.

"No mercy!"

With that order, the battle was joined. Ryu didn't hesitate and focused his will into an Eldritch attack. Purple flames crackled and danced over the length of both of his weapons. He swung Dranak'Tal through the air, and the attack leapt from the blade, forming a half moon shaped wave of energy. At the same time, he jabbed his gladii forward and a jet of purple black light shot off the end.

The wave hit two men, blasting through their armor and cleaving them in half. The jet performed similarly, leaving a hole the size of a dinner plate in the target's chest as it burned armor and flesh alike to ash.

Then he summoned up his scutum and braced himself. The rest of the swarm was on him in an instant. Fury powered each of his blows as he struggled to reach his sister. She seemed to be holding her own, but he would not risk fate being kind to him.

He reached up and blocked an attack by a man with a war hammer. The weapon rebounded off the summoned scutum with a loud bong that jarred the Kasier's arm. He took advantage of the slight hole that opened up in the man's guard to surge forward and impale him on the blade, making certain to keep his left side covered with the shield that he was carrying.

He twisted Dranak'Tal in the wound before withdrawing the blade, spinning around and decapitating another soldier that was closing in on his right side.

The battle was slowing down now, at least to Ryu. Adrenaline was kicking in and his Brood reflexes taking over. His foes seemed to be moving like they were wading through a river or were completely underwater. As he ran another man through, he saw Yua leap up and grab a balcony with her left hand. She pulled herself up out of the reach of her foes, where she produced a throwing knife and buried it right between the sergeant's eyes. The man hit the ground and began to twitch.

The Kaiser simultaneously blocked a pair of strikes with his shield, and parried a downward chop with Dranak'Tal. The God-forged weapon nearly cleaved the sword of his opponent clean in half, and with a heave, Ryu threw his adversary off balance. The man drew a short sword, and out of instinct, Ryu kicked. His taloned feet tore through the man's steel bracer, through flesh, through bone. The soldier howled and lurched backwards clutching at a stump that was spewing blood everywhere. He twisted down a side alley and bolted from sight.

By now, oil lamps were being lit in the buildings around them, and curious citizens were sticking their heads out. Ryu growled as he realized this. It was not the low profile that he'd wanted to keep, but his sister's safety was paramount. He had just found her again, and he wasn't about to let her die on a Calitoran blade.

There were only five men surrounding him now, the rest had taken off after his sister. The Kaiser growled. He didn't have time for this. He simultaneously blocked an axe strike and cleaved a man in half vertically. Then he banished his shield and brandished his shorter blade. Then he assumed a Cobra stance, tightening his grip upon both swords, before unleashing hell.

Ryu transformed into a cyclone of whirling blades and death. He rolled out of the way of an attack, startling everyone with his speed and flexibility, and as he rose up, he slashed Dranak'Tal across one of his opponent's legs. He gave a scream and toppled backwards, his severed femoral arteries becoming a silent testimony to the fact that he had mere minutes to live now.

The rune blade came up and blocked a downward strike by a man armed with a bastard sword. The weapon's own momentum drove it down against the other sword, and Ryu came to the conclusion that it there must have been a flaw in the blade, given that it sliced itself in half. The man had barely begun to register the sudden reversal in the odds when the Kaiser's gladii was driven into his chest and twisted. At the same time, this put Ryu out of range of a spear thrust.

Wrenching his weapon free, the Brood soldier twisted it around and held it knife fighter style. He swung it outward and parried another axe catching it on the tip end of the wide blade. Dranak'Tal sailed in, blurring across the man's arms and neatly slicing them off midway between the wrist and the elbow. As soon as he'd finished, Ryu reversed the direction of the attack and took the man's head off.

Two left.

He twisted out of the way of the final spear carrier, lashing out with his foot and cutting through the wooden pole with his armored talons. He gave no quarter, no mercy. The man died with a scream, his body cut in half.

The last man, panicking and whimpering like a new born kitten, launched himself forward in a suicidal charged that was doomed from the start. His war hammer raised over his head, he was completely blindsided when the Brood soldier twisted out of the way and slammed his weapons into the man's back. His spine punctured by the crystalline rune blade, and the gladii protruding from his chest, he expired, blood dribbling from his mouth.

The entire fight had lasted less than twelve seconds.

_Ryu, I think we are at the beginning of a long and fruitful relationship… _

"Why would Ladon create such a blood-crazed weapon?" the Kaiser grumbled as he started off into the alleys, looking left and right for his sister.

'_Tis not so much blood thirstiness as the fact that I have been bored out of my proverbial skull for three millennia and am so happy to be back in action. _The blade giggled manically for a few moments.

Ryu certainly hoped that it would calm down and be less… aggressive, as time passed. He'd just have to wait and see. For now, he had a sibling to locate. It didn't take very long.

"Pssst," he heard a hiss and twisted to see a heated figure standing in one of the allies. He recognized her instantly and drew close. She still had her swords drawn, he noted, and was definitely glaring at him. "I don't know who you are Brood-Boy, and I'm not about to thank you for that little display of chivalry until I know who you are and what you're after."

"Are you always like this towards someone who pulls your tail out of the fire, Yua?" he asked raising an eyebrow, and seeing if it got a reaction from her.

It did. Her blades flashed up, and she entered a battle stance. "I don't know who you are, buster, but you've got three seconds to spill it or, Brood or not, I'm planting these in your neck."

"You don't recognize me… I'm hurt." He shook his head, but he smiled behind his mask. "I'm sure mother and father are simply thrilled about how well their children know each other." He finished by adjusting the Dragon's Tear to where it could be seen by her.

"Impossible…" she gasped, and glared at him. "What kind of a trick is this?"

"You have certainly become paranoid in the years I've been gone," he reached up and unstrapped his helmet, before taking it off. Even with his hair dyed the color that it was, she was certain to recognize him.

There was a look of surprise that came over her masked face, and slowly, the two short swords returned to their sheathes, one over the left shoulder, the other at the right hip. Then she bolted forward and wrapped her arms around the young soldier. He could hear her laughing and sobs of joy starting to make its way into her voice.

"How?" She asked him, looking up into his green eyes. "How? I watched you Ascend," she beat her fists against his armored chest, hissing a bit in pain as she did, but ignoring it. "I watched you do what mom did…"

"Yua…"

"Yes?"

"Air… please…" her brother gasped.

She let go immediately, and Ryu took a deep breath. He panted for a moment and then shook his head, before quickly putting his helmet back on.

_Heh, quite a grip for such a skinny little kid. _

Yua's hands flew back to her blades and she glared around, searching for the source of the voice. Her eyes were narrowed to glare, and Ryu couldn't help but chuckle. At the same time, he was worried. Yua was a thief, granted. But what could possibly be making her so jumpy like this?

"Dranak'Tal," he held the blade up to where she could see it better. "A good blade… but one with a bizarre personality to say the least." He stared down at it as the weapon began to giggle again.

"Not to sound impolite, bro, but can we catch up later?" Yua asked, putting the toe of her boot into the ground and digging around with it. "I've got half the Capitan armed forces searching for me at the moment and I need to get out of here."

"Lead the way," he raised his swords and fell into line behind her.

She was off in a flash, leading him through the back allies and side streets of the port city. Every now and then, they'd have to stop and take cover in the alleys as patrols rushed by, searching for them. They ranged in size from standard six man forces all the way up to forty man platoons and at least one two hundred man company. Ryu found himself wondering what it was that his sister had stolen to mobilize the army like this. Not even the royal jewels or the crown itself would likely cause this kind of a fuss.

Fortunately, both of them were skilled enough at sneaking to remain out of sight and use the shadows as their allies. Within half an hour of their reunion, brother and sister had managed to make their way to the walls. The guards here were even more alert than the ones in the city proper, and it left Ryu wondering what their next plan of action was. He could always Ascend, but he didn't feel like blowing his cover. Ladon had warned him that things were afoot in the land, and that stealth was the best option right now. He'd already left a dozen or so bodies behind him in the alleyway, and he was sure that at least one person had seen him.

He watched the guards carefully. They were alert, but hadn't randomized their patrols, which meant that someone with the proper timing could simply sneak past them. In their defense, "proper timing" would require that one scale the walls, get across them, and then get back out of sight before a good minute had passed.

"Any ideas?" he muttered to Yua.

"Yeah, I've still got some tricks up my sleeve." She gestured to the building next to them. "Hope you can climb."

In response, he spread his wings from behind his cloak, and took to the air, landing on a balcony a few feet below the top of the building. Yua had nodded her head, and then scaled the wall with speed and grace that would have left a spider green with envy.

"Nice trick," she muttered, nodding towards his new additions.

"They're not the only thing that's changed," he muttered. "The gauntlets and boots aren't for decretive purposes."

He didn't ask what her plan was. He had faith enough in her. Thieves didn't work as long as she had without getting exceptionally good at their jobs. She reached down into her belt, and pulled out a small gem. She closed her eyes and seemed to focus on it. The small stone started to glow black, and when Yua reopened her eyes, Ryu could see that they also looked like shinning obsidian.

Ryu almost chuckled when he noticed that there was a heavy fog that started to roll in. The due waited a few minutes as it settled in, and could faintly hear the guards calling for torches to be distributed. They saw their opening, and as one, they took it. Ryu flew, while his sister glided to the wall, landed without a sound, and then jumped over it, spreading her wings and gliding down to the far end.

Both siblings took off running just as soon as their feet hit the ground, smirking to each other as they left their enemies behind.

* * *

They ran for some time, until they'd covered several miles and left Capitan far behind. As they crested a hill that was some distance from the main road, Ryu turned to face his sister.

"I think you owe me an explanation now," he raised an eyebrow at her and crossing his arms over his chest.

"Suppose I do," Yua muttered, sighing and pulling out a couple of scroll cases. As Ryu leaned over to look at them, she opened up the first one.

Soldier's instincts and lessons long past told him in an instant that he was staring at a series of campaign maps and attack plans… the Calitoran plan of attacks. He could see a number of upcoming strikes planned for the border regions of the Empire. Probing attacks, he realized. They were trying to gauge the capability of the Windians to respond to incursions against spread out and lightly defended targets.

"I heard there was a war on, and that some places got raided…" the Kaiser stared back at his sister.

"Multiple wars, actually," Yua's eyes narrowed dangerously, and he could see her tense. "The Calitorans press us from the east, while Evrai forces attack from the southwest. We're focusing mostly on beating back the Evanites… Emperor Tolvin figured that a higher priority should be placed on the religious fanatics bent on bringing about Armageddon than the cutthroats looking for a cheap profit."

"Can't fault his logic there," Ryu shrugged. "What preparations have been taken?"

"We've set up patrols and dispatched fifteen divisions, ten legions and five wings of gryphon riders to shore up the garrisons along the southwest and we're preparing a campaign to repel them from their beachheads, and ultimately, to assault Evrai itself." The girl said looking up at him. He seemed to be nodding approvingly.

Ryu was tempted to whistle. Tolvin was living up to the old adage of the best defense being a good offense. Divisions held ten thousand troops to themselves, divided among light infantry, archers, and other troops, who were adept at rapid movements across open battlefields and outflanking the enemy. They also held an integrated unit of cavalry, about five hundred strong.

Legions held six thousand frontline soldiers each, and were markedly different from their Division brothers. Soldiers in those units were equipped with heavy plate armor, and either a hefty tower shield and a large spear, a pike, halberd, or some other kind of polearm, or a heavy two handed weapon like a poleaxe or a greatsword. And all of them carried sharp edged thrusting sword. As Duriak had told him in one of his rare humorous moments, the legion "put the 'heavy' back in heavy infantry." Though they were slower moving than the light infantry of the Divisions, in a pitched battle the heavily armored and well armed legionnaires could smash a light infantry formation into lots, and lots, of useless pieces. They were also superb at holding defensive positions, and featured organic support units such as sappers, ballistae and a small detachment of heavy cavalry.

Gryphon wings, though, were what made the Windian military feared world round. The riders were elite soldiers, trained from an early age to handle the fearsome creatures and to fight while controlling their mounts. From up on high, they would survey the battlefield, relay information to the commanders, and could also use their storm lances to devastating effect on the unprepared. Each wing held four hundred riders, their mounts, and the handlers to care for the griffons.

All three units also brought along support in the form of magic users like clerics and combat magi, and were trained extensively in mingling together and forming combined units that could complement each other.

All in all, Emperor Tolvin was deploying nearly a quarter of a million troops to the southern front. An impressive display of force, no doubt intended to send the message of "we will no longer tolerate you raiding our cities and hauling people off for the purposes of slave labor and religious sacrifices."

Then he realized something. "What's this 'we' bit that you're going on about?" he stared at her. "Don't tell me that you're…"

"Yep, I work for the Emperor now, the Left Hand, as it were… though some would call it the underhand…" Ryu could tell that she was smirking behind her silk mask.

"And what exactly is it that you do?" he cocked his head to one side and stared at her pointedly.

"Oh, the usual, espionage, counter espionage, removal of foreseen and unforeseen targets of opportunity behind enemy lines…"

"Assassination, in other words." Ryu raised an eyebrow. He found it hard to imagine that his sister would be able to do something like that. How?

"It's not easy, and sometimes it gets to you," she shrugged. "But then I remind myself that these bastards are destroying people's lives and butchering civilians to fatten their bank accounts, and I find it a little easier to go through with. Speaking of which," she reached down into her belt and pulled out a slightly bloody finger with a gold signet ring on it, "in the morning, King McNeil is going to discover that war minister Takar has tragically lost his head in the wake of my infiltration."

_Ye Gods, __**that**__ was lame…_

Yua glared down at the blade. "Just tonight I've managed to steal the Calitorans' battle plans, the blueprints for their town and the castle, and at least temporarily castrate their military chain of command. What have you done?"

_Well, let's see, there's the time that I butchered a bunch of demons in the God War, and eventually killed a couple of deities… The times that I fought in the Dragon Wars and killed, one moment let me do the math… _the rune blade muttered intelligibly for a few moments, with the occasional thought of "carry the six" and "multiply by the coefficient factor of thirty seven." _Round to four significant digits and… was personally responsible for the defeat, dismemberment, and-or deaths of no less than ten thousand nine hundred and twenty Dark Dragon troops, demons, monsters, beasts and other miscellaneous creepy crawlies…_

Neither of the two Brood said anything. Ryu raised an eyebrow again, while Yua just gawked.

"What of the others?" Ryu asked. "Katt, Bow…"

"Well, the kitten and pooch hooked up with each other," Yua said as she started to tap things off on their fingers. "They're currently running an extension of the Ranger's guild at Township—which is fine and hasn't been hit too hard by the war—" she held up a hand to stop the inevitable question. "Sten's back at High Fort, haven't heard too much from them lately, not sure what it is that they're doing. Rand and Jean also went back home, and Spar… well, with Grassmen, who knows?" She paused, and then frowned, scratching the back of her head. "And Nina…"

"What, she's okay, right?" Ryu took a step forward, his right hand coming out from underneath his cloak and gently grabbing his sister's wrist.

"Yes, and no…" Yua said. "Physically she's fine, and she's opened up a magic academy at Township, probably one of the reasons the Evrai folks steer nice and clear of that place." Ryu nodded in agreement. The raven winged magi had left quite the impression on the Saint Evans headquarters… as well as several large craters. "She managed to bring her sister back from being the Great Bird."

"What?" Ryu gawked at his sister. "I thought that was supposed to be impossible."

"Well, she found some way to reverse it. I don't know the details about it, I just know that it involved the shamans, some really rare spell components, and her risking her life so many times it wasn't even funny." Yua shrugged her shoulders. "And while she's overjoyed… her people… that stupid legend."

The Kaiser bowed his head. Nina's black wings were, according to some ancient prophecy, an omen of destruction, and the majority of the population wanted to see her killed as a demon.

"I see," Ryu stared down at the ground.

"That's not everything, brother." He could hear a cold rage seeping into his sister's voice. "You're not scot-free either. Ryu, you _hurt _her."

"How badly?" he whispered. He'd been afraid of this. Everything had its consequences, and nothing came without cost.

"I don't know. She used to make a little pilgrimage to see you ever three or four months. I went with her once," Yua stared back in the direction of Windia. "You don't know how much she hated what you did. You could have at least warned her."

He sighed. "I wanted to spare her the pain."

"Spare her the pain?" Yua was gaping at him her eyes wide with disbelief. "What in the name of our mother were you thinking, you idiot?" In a flash, she'd drawn one of her blades and thumped him over the head with the butt end of it.

The helmet absorbed most of the blow, but he still felt the impact quite readily. He grunted, but made no move to defend himself.

"What the hell was she supposed to think, just watching you lying there like that? Do you know how many times that I saw her bawl her eyes out, thinking that she'd lost you forever?" She shook her head.

"I'm sorry," Ryu said, hanging his head, the ground suddenly looking rather appealing to her.

"Don't apologize to me, I'm not the one who needs to hear it," Yua snapped. Then she sighed, and her eyes seemed to soften somewhat. "Make no mistake, I'm upset at you, but I'm more upset with the rest of our kin."

The Kaiser stared at her, not understanding. "What?" he asked.

"Never mind, we've wasted enough time." She waved her hand dismissively. "Let's get moving, I've got to get these things to Windia. You can catch up with everyone there."

"Let me give you a lift," he said, extending a hand. "I can have you back in a couple of days."

"Thanks," Yua stood back and crossed her arms.

The transformation occurred quickly, and he groaned softly as his wings enlarged and his dragon side took over completely. He lowered his neck to the ground once it was over, and his sister took a seat in-between his horns, anchoring herself in place with his large mane.

"At least now we might be back in time for the coronation." She remarked.

"Coronation?" Ryu blinked, his voice deep and rumbling, though he made certain not to shift his head around too much and throw his sister off.

"Forgot to mention it." Yua burrowed a little deeper into her brother's mane as he leaped into the air. "After more than a hundred and eighty years on the throne, Emperor Tolvin De Windia is officially stepping down as the head of the Empire. Miena is taking over, and the ceremony is the day after tomorrow." Her grip tightened as the Kaiser's powerful wing beats rapidly propelled them up above the cloud level. "Think you can make it?"

"Only one way to find out," Ryu said, pushing his wings harder and harder.

"And bro… welcome back."

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Capitan Castle, the wounded guardsman that had escaped Ryu's wrath knelt on the floor before King McNeil. The soldier's hand had been wrapped in bandages, and he would soon be turned over to the clerics so they could regenerate the hand.

It was out of no benevolent feelings that the Calitoran king did this. The soldier was simply no good to him maimed.

Right now, though, that was the last thing that was on the king's mind. He was pacing furiously back and forth in front of his throne, his long hair, tied back in a single braid, flopped back and forth as he rapidly turned and twisted.

"You incompetents…" he breathed, his brown eyes bulging wildly. "I sent hundreds of you out to catch one miserable little thief, and what happens? Not only do you lose her, but you come running back here, screaming tales of doom and death!" he roared, reaching down and picking the soldier up, both hands on the man's collar. "What excuses do you have for this?"

"The infiltrator had help, my lord," the man choked out, fear twisting his face into a mask of horror, and he could feel his insides squirming. "Some soldier. He came out of nowhere, butchered half the platoon." The man began to hyperventilate.

"Some soldier… as in one…" The king's eyes narrowed and his face purpled in rage. "What the hell do I pay you people for?" he threw the man to the ground. The soldier landed heavily on his wounded arm, and screamed in pain. "One man did this to you? One man killed you at will?"

"My lord, he was a demon," the man stuttered, clutching his wounded limb close to his chest. "He moved too fast to be a normal man. Those who challenged him… oh Gods, they, he slaughtered them like pigs. Cut them down like they were just animals."

The King McNeil's bodyguards said nothing, but they exchanged glances and rolled their eyes. There was only one individual who didn't immediately discount his story. The man's face was easily forgettable, average in just about every way imaginable, and he wore robes of black and crimson, and a heavy amulet around his neck indicated his position as an advisor. He stepped forward from the other ring of slack eyed gawkers and miscellaneous yes-men and approached the king.

"My lord, it is possible that he was telling the truth," he said calmly.

"Derrick, don't tell me that you believe this fool? A Demon, really? The Windian Empire isn't known for making pacts with devils." McNeil waved his hands dismissively.

"And yet they employed a spy that by all description appears to have a set of bat wings sticking out of her back, my lord. Perhaps times have changed," Derrick gave a shrug. "At any rate, I believe that we've learned all that we can from this fellow here. Get him to the healers and put him back out on duty. Something a little easier this time, though."

"Agreed," The king looked down at the man, glaring at him. "I think watching the slums should be good enough for him."

The soldier gulped as two of the king's bodyguard stepped forward and helped haul him to his feet, before ushering him out of the throne room.

"You may take your leave, Derrick. This intrusion has left us all weary, and it is a most ungodly hour." McNeil said, and moved towards his room. His guards followed him. "One last thing, though," he turned his head. "I want you to double the number of units that will be involved with our next assault, and personally oversee the operation. Just in case."

The man named Derrick simply nodded his head, and teleported to his chambers.

One there, it was a simple matter for him to double check the wards and locks and make certain that everything was secure. Then he started to snicker.

"Well, well, so it seems as though that pathetic fool has already sent his chosen champion into battle. This should prove interesting." He rubbed his hand along his checks, cupping his chin with the palm. "Come then, Destined Child. Let us see what you can really do."

* * *

Up in the Celestial plane wherein Ladon resided, there was a flash of light, and a trio of individuals appeared. The first was an angelic being, her wings fluttering around a body that would have caught the eye of any mortal. She shivered, even though there was no chill in the air, and the elements of reality had never been capable of bothering her.

She was Myria, Goddess and creator of the Windian people, and their protector, such as she was able.

To her left and right were a pair of large gargoyle like beings. They stood close to ten feet tall, and muscles rippled underneath their rocky hides as they clutched at spears large enough to slice a man in half. Wings fluttered around their bodies and electric blue, pupiless eyes took in their surroundings.

Before them was a large fortress, its walls manned by all sorts of creatures and beings.

Myria saw ancient Brood heroes passing back and forth on the walls, along with animated suits of armor and elementals of whirling energy. Ladon was as militantly minded as he ever was. She wondered what the Dragon God wanted with her though. She hadn't seen him in more than three thousand years and the start of the Dragon Wars.

She shuddered again. Even three millennia had failed to dull the memories she'd had of that day. She could feel Ladon's hate and fury washing over them all, his shouts as he told them what they'd all secretly feared. She remembered her own sorrow as her world shattered, and she felt what the others hadn't, the pain and rage that the God carried within him. Pain of loss. Rage directed towards himself, because of his inability to safeguard his people.

All attempts at communication—from anyone—with Ladon had failed since then. No visitors were admitted into his realm of reality. Those that tried were repelled, sometimes violently, by the Dragon God's power. He had never attended a single council meeting, never come to socialize with the others. He kept himself locked up.

And, she noted, the pain in his heart locked up as well.

It made the fact that he had invited her here all the stranger. Perhaps… No, something like that was out of the question. She wasn't that lucky.

She entered the fortress, noted the guards on all sides tightening grips on their weapons. They were unused to visitors, and it made them nervous, apparently. The winding, maze like passages of stone and metal were filled with wards, traps, and the like. Some of them were freshly created, but she noted, few had the make of the Dragon God's touch to them.

Strange. It was as if Ladon was preparing for an assault, be had left most of the preparations to his generals and commanders. Myria racked her brains, trying to find a logical explanation for it.

She didn't get time to complete her thoughts, however, for they arrived at the center of Ladon's fortress. It was a command room of sorts, glyph machina and scrying pools all over. Orders were being issued through them, but to who and for what purpose eluded her.

Ladon was the center of it all. In the storm of organized chaos, he was a bastion of calm, like a rock. Myria noticed that there was a soldier to his side, smaller than her guardians and seemingly less powerful, but as she stared into his eyes and recognized the man's face, she realized that Ladon would hold the upper hand even if he wasn't surrounded by his own guards.

The soldier was one Adrikan Dragoneye, and she knew the power that dwelled inside of him, and that he was more than capable of beating both of her guardians to within an inch of their life.

His expression towards her was neutral, but she bowed towards him out of respect.

"Greetings, Ladon, hero," she nodded to each in turn. "May I ask what the occasion for calling me here is? You're not known for receiving guests."

"The time of rebellion is upon us again," the Dragon God crossed his arms over his chest as he spoke, his ethereal eyes narrowing.

"You mean?..." Myria couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence. She closed her eyes and a tear trickled down her face. "I kept hoping… I kept praying… but it seems as though nothing will ever change. Seems you were right after all," she remarked bitterly.

Ladon's iron hard expression faltered for a moment, his face and eyes softening. He took a step forward, but then the look of compassion faded, and was replaced by the steely gaze of a commander.

"Whether I was right or not is irrelevant now," he remarked, striding over to a large scrying pool. "We can only prepare. And for that, I will need your help. Your people will need what blessings that they can be given to prepare for the coming storm."

"What of Kord, Baccob, and the others?" she asked.

"They have been informed, and will help in their own ways." Was it just her, or was Ladon's power weaker than it had been last time that she was here? It was as if something or someone had drained him.

Then the feeling faded, and Myria found herself concentrating more on the current situation. There was a lot that she was going to have to weather in the coming days. It was not going to be an easy time of her.

"And before you ask, I've already paid her a visit, and woke her up. She's awaiting his arrival." Ladon said, raising a single finger up off of his shoulder.

"What?" Myira's eyes went wide, before they narrowed to a glare. "How can you? She's—"

"She's fully old enough to make decisions on her own, my dear." he gave a wry smile. "And she handled herself well enough last time."

"She could have been killed!" Myria fired back, her fists clenching in rage.

"So could everyone else of the face of Asparia…" Ladon snarled, and for a moment, Myria thought that she could see the silhouette of his true form blossom around him. Then he calmed himself, and she saw a crack or two form in the impassive mask that was his face. "I do not enjoy watching her fight, or anyone else getting killed because of our blunder."

"What of the Kaiser?" she asked after a moment or two had passed.

"He makes his way towards Windia." Adrikan stepped forward as he spoke for the first time. "From there, we will attempt to contact him. We're not sure if we'll be able to. The interference has been more potent lately. I think the enemy knows we're planning something."

"And after that?"

"Then the real battles begin," Ladon said, looking down into the pool below him, through which he could see Ryu flying through the night sky.

* * *

&

* * *

Okay, hope that was better than it was the last time round. As you might have guessed, there were some major, major differences between this Family Reunion chapter and the first one. The main reason being that in hindsight, I realized how silly it was for future events to be caused by a thieves guild capable of such limited operations.

I hope that you all enjoyed this one, and as always, feed back and especially constructive criticisms are appreciated. Flames will be welcomed as well, as my Dorm's central air and heating unit is on the fritz again, and it's getting cold in here.

Hope to have the next chapter up within the next two weeks. Until then, good luck to everyone, and stay safe.


	5. When In Windia

When in Windia

Well, hello again everyone. Sorry its been so long, but I've been without access to the internet for the past two weeks on account of my Dorm defaulting on several months worth of payments to the company in question. No, that is not a joke. Yes, that happened, my Dorm refused to pay the bill.

At any rate, once again, my humblest thanks to everyone who had a hand in reading this story, and especially to those of you who have told me what you think. Your advice and feedback help me to improve as a writer, and I only hope that I answered your responses adequately.

Also, a big round of applause to animedragongirl, for her invaluable help with proofreading this story.

That said, here's chapter five, which is, I feel, a massive improvement over its original counterpart.

**When in Windia…**

It was dawn when Ryu and his sister arrived at the capital. The Kaiser had pushed himself hard, flying above the clouds and doing his best to avoid the occasional gryphon patrol for almost twenty eight hours nonstop, gently shifting his sister from his mane to his hands when she'd grown tired. Behind them lay three thousand miles of roads, towns, cities, soldiers, aqueducts and more. Before them lay Windia, the jewel of the Empire.

Even though he had seen it several times before, the magnificent city always managed to take Ryu's breath away. Built upon a series of six hills, and surrounded by fertile countryside fed by an intricate and complex irrigation system, the area was the perfect place to build a city. And what a city it was…

Encompassing more than twenty square miles, and home to more than two million people at the last census, Windia was the largest city on the continent, and the very heart of Larasa's mightiest empire. Magnificent domed and arched buildings filled every block, islands among a sea of people. Columns, frescos, murals, statues dedicated to ancient heroes, mages, and philosophers, and a host of other cultural treasures were everywhere. Ryu could also spot the gigantic, glowing crystals that marked the city's many arcane sanctuaries and academies, and the barracks that housed the home guard. Dominating the center, leading up to the main gate, was the Via Victoria, a massive stone road, wide enough for three carriages to move through side by side.

It was the ceremonial road through which victorious armies would return, their general at the head, wearing a crown of silver, fashioned in the shape of a pair of lightning bolts. The road passed through the gates, all the way to the primary forum and market place.

Both of these reflected the militant history of the Windians, and it was further proven in the construction of the city. Every city block was laid out perfectly, with no flaws or misalignments of buildings. All of them had been had been converted to stone as well, to render the employment of firebombs useless. Watchtowers were set up at regular intervals, and the roof of every house and building were lined with a three foot high stone and mortar balcony, into which murder holes had been cut. This feature allowed the Windian troops to take advantage of their winged heritage to fly in archers where they were needed and not fear enemy counter fire.

All streets that were wide enough for siege weaponry had raised blocks set into them. There were groves cut to allow for carriages and the occasional chariot to pass through, but covered battering rams and the like that needed wider wheels would be unable to pass, short of a mage levitating them over it. Similarly, there were designated blocks of stone along the hills for trebuchets.

Windia also sported four walls, which ringed around the city's edge. They were dotted with watchtowers, upon which magi, ballistae, archers, and others would be stationed in the event of attack or siege. The inner three were each about ten feet thick and reinforced with arcane wards. The outer wall was a engineering marvel, being more than twenty feet thick, and forty feet high. Two portcullis and doors that were made of solid metal protected its single gate, which was said to have received the blessing of the Goddess, Mryia, herself.

Combined with indomitable will and a well trained army, Windia was one of the few cities that could claim to have never been successfully sacked in its entire history. Even during the legendary Dragon Wars, the Dark Dragons had failed to breech it, though the walls had apparently suffered significant damage and been in need of an overhaul.

One could tell that the city was busy today. Hordes of people could be seen moving up through the gates, and the entire city was covered in banners while faerie fire lit up the air in a spectacular display of color and beauty.

They landed some distance off, and made their way towards the city on foot. There was a mass of people streaming in, but Yua had what amounted to diplomatic immunity, given her current rank within the Windian government, so she would be able to bypass most of the red tape necessary for entering the city. Both siblings were covered by their heavy cloaks, just in case there were unfriendly eyes about.

The entrance was heavily guarded by Legionaries in a phalanx formation, as well as a group of Windian mages, who seemed to be scrying the crowd, looking for trouble makers. Even someone of Yua's standing was not immune to this type of search, but the mages let both of them pass after they'd sensed no hostile intentions from them.

The interior of the city was crowded, with children running underfoot, enjoying their day off from school.

One of the children wasn't paying attention to where he was running, and bumped into Ryu. The youth fell to the ground with a loud "oof" and nursed his rear end. Sheepishly, he looked up at the cloaked man before him, and gulped. Ryu supposed that he probably did look frightening to the young boy. He heard muffled gasps as well, and looked down the side street that the boy had emerged from. There were more children there, a small group of Humans, Windians, and he noted, even a couple of Worrens and a Grass-Runner. All seemed to be between the age of eight and twelve, and judging from the way they were sharing glances with each other, were part of a regular circle of friends.

He knelt down next to the Windian before him, and smiled behind his helmet. He extended his hands, and, mindful of the claws on his gauntlets, reached under the boys arms and picked him back up.

"Careful there, you could hurt yourself," he said with a smile, though the boy couldn't see it. He noticed that the child seemed almost mystified by the runic symbols on his armor, and the design of the gauntlets and boots.

"Neat…" he whispered, staring at the symbol that summoned Ryu's scutum. "Where do you get armor like that?" he asked.

"Specially made," Ryu said, and ruffled the boy's golden hair. One of the girls, who looked to be the eldest, and possibly the leader of the little band, slowly came forward.

"Sorry, I hope Michael didn't upset you," she said, chewing on her lip slightly and pulling at a brown lock on her forehead.

"Not at all," the Brood soldier shook his head, and noticed that the boy was staring at Dranak'Tal.

_Seems like I've got a fanclub in the making… _The sword mused.

"Sorry," the girl apologized again, suddenly yanking the younger boy back. "We've got an older brother in the military."

"Really?" Ryu said as he stood back up. "What unit?"

"Praetorian Guard," the girl blushed as she said it.

Ryu's eyebrows arched, and he studied the two apparent siblings before him. The Praetorian Guard was an ancient order of crack soldiers that had protected the Emperors and Empresses of the Windian people for centuries. The unit was usually only a few hundred strong, and was made up of a blend of hardened combat veterans, top officers, and the highest potential recruits.

Typically these came from the nobility, as their children (at least the more militantly minded ones) didn't have the responsibilities that the lower class and burgesses did, and could thus dedicate a greater amount of their time to studying the arts of war. There were however, exceptions to this. Rank and file soldiers and recruits that showed the discipline, courage, and skill necessary were taken in a fairly regular basis. Judging by the children's clothes, he believed them to be the latter case. They were wearing plain blue and gray clothing, not the magnificent scarlet, gold, and purple colored fabrics that the upper class could afford to wear abundantly.

"Samantha, Michael!" he heard a voice calling. He and Yua turned to see a couple fighting their way through the streets and crowds. They were Windians and he suspected them to be around middle age, probably just out of their first century of life, to be more specific. The father approached, and he had a frown on his face. "How many times have I told you not to talk to strangers?"

"Sorry," both of siblings said at once, looking back over to their shoulders to their friends, who were slowly coming out, showing the parents that their two children hadn't been alone.

Such loyalty, Ryu thought to himself.

"They weren't being a bother, Sir," Yua said, with a slight bow that opened up her cloak just a bit. This had the effect of showing him a brief glimpse of the black lotus on the front of her chestplate.

The man's eyes widened slightly, and he opened his mouth to stammer out an apology, but the operative simply shook her head.

"You were concerned for them. Nothing to apologize for," she said, and Ryu could hear the smile in her voice.

The Kaiser busied himself with staring at the couple. The man's head was mostly hidden by a cloth cowl that was sewn into his gray jerkin, but he was able to make out a number of prominent facial scars, two of which were jagged, almost resembling the marks of a tiger's claw. The man also appeared to move with a slight limp in his right leg, and seemed to count cadence when he moved. He spoke with a soldier's authority as well. Officer, perhaps? Above the standard rank and file for sure. He thought he caught a bit of a north eastern accent in the man's voice.

"Where were you assigned?" Ryu asked suddenly, cocking his hooded head to one side.

"North of the Kalisian Plains," the man responded, and then smiled wryly. "Let me guess, the scars and the voice gave it away."

"More or less," Ryu shrugged. "You look like you got in a tangle with some kind of wild cat, and Worrens are known for their tempers."

"Yeah, the kitten wasn't happy with the racketeering charges he was brought up on," the man chuckled to himself. "You can bet I requisitioned a helmet with a bigger faceplate after that!"

I'll say this for learning the hard way. The lessons certainly leave their marks…

Yua rolled her eyes, but said nothing.

"Eric Nerazin, former sergeant in the service of his majesty's armed forces." He extended his hand. "My wife, Catherine," and he nodded towards the woman, who did a curtsied slightly, "and I believe you've already met my two youngest rascals."

"Romar," Ryu said, and carefully shook the offered hand. Eric's eyes lingered on his strange gauntlets but said nothing.

"It's been a pleasure conversing, but we need to be going," Yua said, motioning for her brother to follow.

"Have a good day," Eric said, and waved as they left.

As the two siblings made their way through the streets of the capital, they could see the other signs of celebration: confections being sold in the streets, wine and ale merchants making a proverbial killing with their finest vintages, while metal smiths and artisans had their best works on display. Neither was hungry right now or particularly interested in shopping, though, and took little interest in them.

Ryu found himself being bombarded with memories as he worked his way down towards the forum. It was around here that he had first met Sten. Where Nina had first confided in them about the truth of her black wings. What they meant, supposedly, and what would happen if she was caught in the city.

His mind drifted to her for a few minutes. Provided that he could secure a meeting with the newly crowned Empress, he would see if that commission was still open for him, and then inquire about the raven winged magi. Miena de Windia had always been close to her sister, if naive and blissfully unaware of why it was that whenever she wished to visit Nina at Galen's magic academy, she had to be smuggled out in the dead of night using secret passages and a group of Praetorians whose loyalty to the family bordered on fanatical. He suspected that even now, she was still in contact with her sister.

They moved past various troops of soldiers, some of whom were trying to clear the streets to keep a watchful eye out on the populace. No doubt they feared that thieves would be out in force, plying their trade on a day like this. The Via Victoria had already been cordoned off, and troops were lining it from the gate to the forum.

They passed another series of open air cafes and shops, and Ryu took stock of the people here. The usual array of middle class tradesmen and skilled laborers were there. Much like the children, he suspected that they were enjoying their day off.

A few people did stand out though. There was a few off duty soldiers, and a couple of mages discussing some new alchemy find. There was also someone in the back of the place, slowly nursing a drink and a meal. He couldn't make out the persons' features, due to the heavy blue cloak that the individual was wearing, but he got the distinct feeling that the individual was watching him.

The Kaiser frowned behind his helmet, but turned his head and kept on walking anyway. Unless the person was crazy enough to try and start up a fight in the middle of a day like this, he would be fine. He'd just have to keep an eye out and make certain that he wasn't being followed.

It took the two siblings about another half an hour to reach the border regions around the forum. People were swarming over balconies, crowing the stalls and open air regions of shops, and all were frantically trying to get a better view of the coming show.

The Windian Forum was an impressive piece of architectural design, spreading out and covering a region that was about four hundred yards in every direction. The most prominent shops, banks, and smiths ringed it, and the center of it contained a raised platform from which senators, military commanders, and the like could give speeches. There were also a number of bronze statues that ringed it, dedicated to great figures in Windian history. Politicians, generals, philanthropists, wizards, all were present.

Ryu stared off to his left, and saw one that stood out to him: one of his mentor. Duriak was in his battle armor, his helmet tucked under his left arm, and his rune blade held in his right. He was staring down at something, and had an expression on his face that could only be described as a rugged smile. The sculptor had probably envisioned the general pouring over his war maps, which was likely the most natural position that the man would have ever been in.

After his master's death, before he could start out for Windia, Bow had gone and tried to perform an act of "good natured thieving" as he called it. He had broken into the house of a merchant named Trout, and attempted to fetch back an artifact that he'd stolen from a rival. Things had gone downhill, and Bow had found himself on the run from the law, with only one clue to clear his name: that he'd seen a bat winged girl stealing the same artifact that he'd been hired to retrieve.

It was on that quest to clear his friend's name—when Katt had first joined him—that he started to learn the truth about his mentor. He supposed it rather ironic, in a way. Katt and Bow had more in common than they knew, even before they met and started to share their histories with one another.

Both of them had been orphaned as a direct result of Duriak's actions. Depending on who you spoke to, Duriak was either a glorious, patriotic hero, or a conquering tyrant. He represented all that was good in a soldier, or the nightmares that they could become.

The man had come in from nowhere, literally. All that was known was his name. He had no past, no family, no money or belongings but the armor and equipment on his back. He'd started out low in the Windian military, just a sergeant. However, his seemingly unnatural command of the battlefield and personal combat prowess had catapulted him up through the ranks, eventually earning the title of War Marshal.

What had ensued was a forty year period of war in which the Windian Empire's boundaries had surged outwards. By the time that everything was over, the Empire was almost triple the size that it had been at the start of Duriak's career, and Windia controlled nearly half the continent.

But while he had brought millions under a single flag, there was a cost to be paid. Broken lives, shattered families, the spirits of the nations that he'd conquered cast down and trampled. Ryu still remembered what Katt had told him, remembered the hatred and the poison in her voice when she confessed about the battle where both of her parents had been killed.

"_Duriak fought dozens of campaigns, almost a thousand battles… and he won them all… He did more than just defeat us, out on the Kalisian Plains. He tore the heart out of our army, and shattered its spine. He did what no other general or commander had done in all the thousands of years we'd been fighting: he broke us, Ryu. As an independent military power, we were finished." _

The Grass-Runners had met the same fate and had been assimilated by the Empire. A dozen other smaller kingdoms had also been consumed by the expanding Windian armies. Even the Highlanders, with their elite soldiers and well disciplined army, had had nearly half of their territory beaten out of their hands.

That was how Sten had wound up like he was. He'd been the sole survivor of an entire unit of Royal Guards sent to shore up defenses at Fort Moonhawk. The fortress was supposed to be nearly impregnable, with all of the defenses that were there. Combined with the hilly terrain that meant trying to reach the place would literally be an uphill battle, making any unit perfect fodder for archers, mages, and support units.

Duriak's solution: burrow under the fort from outside of the visual range of the watchtowers, amass an enormous amount of blast-globes, explosive runes, and other things that went boom, and set them off. The resulting explosion had nearly torn the fort from its foundations, killed most of the defenders instantly, and left the few survivors too dazed and disoriented to put up anything beyond token resistance.

Sten had only survived because he'd been too wounded by the blast to fight back.

Ryu shook his head and focused his attention back on the present. Dwelling in the past would solve nothing. He supposed that one day he would learn all of the secrets that his mentor had hidden, but today was not that day.

It was at least another half hour before the ceremony officially started. The heads up came with a blaring of trumpets, followed by a formation of heavily armed gryphon riders that circled above the forum, performed a few aerial maneuvers and tricks, and then settled on top of the buildings, their lances and swords held at the ready.

Then the Praetorian Guard emerged. Sunlight glinted off of brilliantly polished mithril plating and weaponry as they came in from the far side of the forum. Ryu watched them with a soldier's eye, and felt that they lived up to their reputation. They were perfectly in step with one another, their weapons out of the scabbards and tightly gripped, but he noticed that their eyes were roaming around as they marched. They were looking for possible trouble makers and anyone who might be an assassin in hiding, just in case the first lines of security failed.

The shield bearers came first, half of them carrying bastard swords and the other half spears, while both carried a short stabbing blade as a secondary weapon. They were full sets of plate armor, and Ryu could see that some wore sets of chain underneath. Their kite shields were gold and purple in color, with a massive eagle painted on the front. Their helmets were also different from the standard military. Though superficially similar to the barubuts worn by the rank and file, they fully covered the back of the head, flaring out to cover the back of the neck, and sporting a slight bill on the front.

The armor also featured an optional interlocking facemask, of which about half wore. It was plain, and covered the entire face from about the nose down, angling backwards form the center at about a seventy degree angle.

As the shield bearers assumed a defensive position around the temporary throne, the next group came in. These ones lacked shields, and carried an array of two handed weapons, spread evenly between greatswords, halberds, and pole axes. These ones took up position in front of their comrades.

Once that was accomplished, there was another great blaring of trumpets, and at last Ryu caught sight of them. Emperor Tolvin and Empress Hina did not seem to have changed in the slightest. Miena, though, was taller now; her appearance more mature than it had been four years ago when he'd first met her. Flanking them were several figures that Ryu recognized: Manus Decart, the current War Marshal, Julia Scaevola, who was the High Bishop of Myria's church, Octavian Fulgarus, Imperial Archmage, and Sciceron Akal, current head of the Senate.

They approached, and Ryu noted that the Bishop was carrying a ceremonial pillow, upon which was a small crown made of gold and adorned with precious stones.

As all parties assumed their positions, the Emperor stood up before his people and entered into a speech, addressing the need for all the species of the Empire to work together for the common good, on the state of affairs, and how things were going to improve in the future.

Ryu found his mind drifting, back to that fateful night when he'd last seen Miena…

--

He awoke to a scream, and bolted upright. He caught a fleeting glimpse of a black wing dashing out the door: Nina. The girl hadn't put her heavy cloak on to cover her wings though, if the guards spotted her, there would be a riot on their hands.

Swearing, Ryu threw himself up out of his bed and grabbed his blades. There was no time to don his armor, but he'd slept in his boots, so at least he wasn't barefoot. Slinging his gladius over his shoulder and belting on his rune blade, he was out of the room, shouting loudly to wake the others.

It didn't take him long to catch up with Nina.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Miena, she stole the Mark!" Nina shouted as they rounded a corner, blitzing past a Praetorian Guard who was left to stare dumbfounded after them.

"Gods!" Ryu swore. It took him only a second to put two and two together. "The Ceremony…"

The two of them arrived at the entrance to the Great Bird's chamber less than a minute later. But Miena had already sealed herself inside.

"Miena, open this door now!" Nina banged on it heavily, while Ryu drew his rune blade.

"Move," he motioned her aside, and gripped the sword with both hands.

Duriak's weapon, enchanted by some of the most potent magicks that the Empire had to offer, failed to even scratch the doors. A second and third blow did not better, and snarling, Ryu had charged up an Eldritch blast. It turned out to be the biggest mistake he could make. The burst of primordial energy had rebounded off the doors and surged back into him. He screamed in pain as the burst blew him off his feet, hurling him fifteen feet backwards, his flight only being stopped due to the presence of a wall.

Moaning softly, he tried to rise to his feet. Rand and the others had shown up then, and the young Brood motioned towards the door.

"Break it down!" he hissed through the pain.

Rand nodded, before rushing forward and smashing the door with a powerful blow. The Daspardian's fists were the nearly twice the size of a man's head, and with fueled by his strength increasing gauntlets, were capable of turning stone and masonry walls to powder. He may as well been chucking eggs at the doors, for all the progress he was making though. Even a solid dozen strikes failed to even dent the metal surface.

Rand turned and looked at the others, helpless for the first time in his life.

Miena's voice came through the door, somewhat muffled, but still audible.

"I never knew," she said. "Mother and father never told me… I'm so blind. Why didn't I figure it out? Why didn't I put two and two together and figure out why they never let you visit… why they didn't even acknowledge that you were their daughter too."

"Miena, please!" Nina was starting to sob, slumping to her knees and pounding on the door with her fist, doing nothing more than bruising it.

Ryu groaned and tried to get to his feet. He managed after a struggle, but could feel a wetness trickling down the back of his head. He didn't have to feel to know that it was blood.

Damnable fool! He'd sworn to himself. Miena's actions were noble, true enough, but she couldn't see what he could. Nina was coming apart at the seams.

"Move…" he growled, and felt the first stages of his transformation take over. One way or another, this insanity was going to end.

Arcane wards and defenses sprang to life as they sensed the presence of powerful, potentially destructive magic. They lashed out, hitting the Kaiser dead on, and causing him to scream in agony again.

He fell to his knees once more, his body smoldering. His pain was nothing next to hers, though. These wounds, painful as they were, would heal…

Nina threw out a blast of energy, one last attempt to avert the recklessness of her younger sister. The spell bounced off, lancing up through the roof, blowing a massive hole in it, and likely waking up the rest of the castle.

"I just want you to promise me one thing, Sister…" they heard the voice of the younger princess, quiet, barely audible. "I know I won't remember any of you once this is done, but please, call me by my name."

Then they could feel it starting. The Ceremony was beginning. Magic became palpable, one could taste it in the air. There was the sound of crackling thunder as the arcane forces built rapidly towards a crescendo.

"And one last thing, Nina… I always loved your wings."

A massive roar shook the whole area, knocking several of the group from their feet. As it ended, the doors unlocked, and the results were plain to see. In Miena's place was a magnificent eagle, the size of an Ascended Brood. It spread its golden, phoenix-like wings, and gave a shrill keen.

Ryu rose to his feet, fighting off the pain, and helped Nina up. On shaking legs, both stumbled inside, and nearly fell. Rand caught Nina, while Bow and Sten supported their Brood friend. The raven winged sorceress was carried forward, tears dripping down her face as she looked up at the large raptor, which stared at her with foreign eyes that held no recognition.

--

_Boooooooring._

Ryu snapped back to the present, and glared down at the sword, thinking that it had been snooping in on his thoughts again.

_I mean seriously, is he going to drone on any longer? I think my edges are going dull listening to this guy. _It seemed to sense the glare that Ryu was giving it. _Alright, alright, I can take a hint, shutting up. _

After a few more minutes talking about the state of the war, Emperor Tolvin De Windia officially turned the coronation ceremony over to the others. The crown was handed to him, and the pillow passed to his wife. Her hands free, Bishop Julia reached for a vial of sacred oil, and poured some of it into Miena's blue hair.

"We offer the blessings of the Goddess, that you may remain strong in this time of trial and throughout your reign," she said, bowing her head.

War Marshall Decart stepped forward, and produced a ceremonial longsword, its hilt and handle made of an alloy of platinum and steel and encrusted with jewels. He extended it to her, grip first.

"We offer you our swords and shields, that you may use us to defend this land and its many peoples." As Julia had, he bowed low when the soon-to-be Empress took it from him.

Then Sciceron took center stage. He presented a book containing the laws and dictates of the Senate.

"We offer our wisdom, that we may aid you in serving this land," he said, bowing as the others did when she took the book from him and crossed her arms, making a vague X shape with the sword and the tome.

Then it was Fulgarus' turn. He produced an amulet shaped in the crest of the Imperial Signet.

"We offer our knowledge in the arts, that we may protect you with our skills, and through protecting you, this mighty civilization." He clipped it on around her neck.

Emperor Tolvin stepped up behind the throne, the crown hoisted high in his hands.

"I offer my blessing as a father, in the hopes that you will rule wisely, justly, and be mindful that ultimately, you are the protector of these people gathered here today." His smile was warm, and stretched from ear to ear. "May your reign be long and fruitful, my daughter."

The crown touched Miena's head, and nestled on it. Applause erupted from everyone, creating a deafening cacophony that would be heard for miles.

Ryu noticed something then: Empress Hina. Her gaze had drifted from Miena off to somewhere in the crowd. The Kaiser followed her line of sight, and noticed that the heavily cloaked individual that he'd seen earlier was what appeared to hold her attention. His gaze narrowed and the cogs of his mind began to go to work on this little mystery.

However, even as Ryu began to ponder, something pulled at the back of his mind, something that raised the hairs on the back of his neck. He suddenly stiffened, and stared around, his eyes narrowed. Archmage Fulgarus seemed to sense it as well, summoning up a staff as energy crawled over his hands and his eyes glowed with inner fire.

"To arms!" he screamed.

Half a second later, chaos erupted as flashes filled the forum and the Via Victoria. When it cleared, a small army of soldiers stood in them, weapons drawn. There was a universal shout among them, and they charged the Imperial troops.

--

Okay, hope that was halfway decent. Sorry it was so short, the next chapter should be longer.

As always, feedback of any type is appreciated, from the positive, to the negative, and especially the constructive criticism variety. Flames welcome to, as I can store them up for use in the winter.

As always, stay safe, and best of luck to you all.


	6. Assault

Well, hello everyone, sorry its been so long since the last update, but things have been very hectic for me. At the same time, though, they have been rewarding. I am happy to say that I now hold a Bachelor's Degree in English from Florida State University, and may possibly be heading towards law school come fall.

At any rate, enough about me. I want to, as always, thank each and every one of you that has taken time out of your busy lives to read this story. To those of you who left reviews, I hope that I have answered your questions properly (RougeKaiser, do you have an e-mail address I could respond to you at?).

At any rate, on with the story, with special thanks to Animedragongirl for critiquing the chapter.

* * *

**Assault**

* * *

Dranak'Tal's crystal blade flashed out into the open and Ryu summoned his scutum. Yua was right beside him, reaching into her bracers and pulling out a series of throwing daggers. Knives and Eldritch blast flew through the air, and the battle was on.

The Praetorians reacted with all the speed and discipline that they'd been trained with. Their ranks flowed like water around their leaders, and in less than a second, kite shields covered every possible arrow shot from ground and building level. Then the blocky formation began to move with speed that belied what such a cluster of soldiers should have been able to do, retreating back towards the castle with all haste.

The soldiers carrying two handed weapons charged their foes, poleaxe and halberd carries at the front, those with swords and hammers flanking. A storm of arrows from both sides filled the air as civilians screamed and fled. The newly arrived hostiles fired from the building tops that they'd teleported on top of, while the Windian Gryphon riders took to the air and unslung bows of their own.

Then the spells started flying, and the chaos truly began. Bolts of lightning fell from cloudless skies, fireballs melted steel and mithril to flesh, and blasts of blizzard-like cold were being flung about everywhere. In some cases, shields were erected to cover troop formations, but in others, they were left exposed. Imperials and hostiles alike were turned into frozen statues, or found the flesh cooked from their bones.

Throughout it all, Ryu had but one thought: to get Miena out of here.

The problem was that there was a small army between the Brood soldier and his objective. Ascending was out of the question, the conditions here were too crowded. He wouldn't be able to do so much as take a single step in his Kaiser form without squashing someone, and the back drafts of his wings would toss friend and foe alike around like they were children's toys.

The fastest option was to simply fly there, but that would expose him to enemy countermeasures such as archers or spell-fire, and the Praetorians might not realize that he was a friendly, which would leave him vulnerable on both fronts. More importantly, it would leave Yua behind.

His sister was many things, but one thing he did know was of her loyalty to those close to her. The girl would either reach the newly crowned Empress, or she'd die trying. He wasn't about to let her go it alone.

That left the second option: Eldritch. It was risky, and would leave him drained, but it would open up a path, and probably convince the Praetorian Guard that he was on their side.

All these thoughts were processed and analyzed by his brain in the opening second, a result of years of hellish training and a multitude of real life encounters that had left those who hesitated for any longer than a moment dead.

His cloak fluttered to the ground, and he let his wings spread wide, focusing within himself and summoning his powers. He opened his eyes, and the runes on his armor glowed an eerie purple. Imperial soldiers and the newcomers both took notice of this, before Ryu extended his hands, and unleashed his fury.

Bolts of crackling power sprang from his body and shot outwards, seeking out his foes. Sweat broke out on his forehead, despite the comfort of his armor, and he gritted his teeth, straining to keep the power from going wild and killing indiscriminately.

It was becoming clear to the Kaiser that he was out of practice. He'd need to meditate soon, get back in the habit of bending his powers to his own will. He had to cut the attack off a couple of seconds later before he lost control. Panting, he looked around. There were far more still alive than he'd hoped for. He'd have to do this the old fashioned way.

_Step right up, got plenty of death for everyone here!_

At least someone was excited, the young dragon thought to himself.

His scutum held before himself like a battering ram, he charged towards the nearest group, Dranak'Tal held back in a Desert Wind stance. He smashed into the lines of the enemy. The first man had his back turned to the Kaiser, too occupied with the Windian soldier that he was engaged with to notice the approaching fiend behind him. Dranak'Tal hissed through the air, and came down on top of the soldier's skullcap. Steel parted like water before the God-forged weapon, and the trooper was sliced in half in the time it took a man to blink.

Ryu was already at the next soldier by the time the two haves hit the ground. A squadron of hostiles was rushing to fill the hole he'd made with his initial attack. He was on them like a starving wolf among sheep. The first man barely had time to turn before the Kaiser blindsided him. Dranak'Tal sang once more, making the man shorter by a full head. As the headless corpses started to tumble backwards, the Kaiser thrust the rune blade forward, impaling a man through the heart. He vomited up blood and fell to his knees.

However, even a dying foe could still be a threat, so Ryu chose to remove him completely from the equitation. Another headless body tumbled to the ground.

By now, the squadron's remaining ten men were turning about on him, ignoring the Imperial troops and realizing that he was a somewhat greater threat at the moment. This gave his allies a chance to advance forward and open up a hole in the line of the enemy. A wedge shaped formation of Windian troops cleaved through, beginning the job of corralling the hostile forces.

But more were arriving every second, it seemed. New groups were flashing into existence to reinforce the first wave, and Ryu knew that he had to work quickly, or else he would get swamped long before he could reach the retreating shield wall of the Praetorians.

The first soldier to attack him swung a battle-axe. The blow was aimed for his sides, but the Kaiser was able to easily parry it, before sliding Dranak'Tal down the length of the axe's shaft and taking off the ends of the man's fingers. As the man fell back clutching at the bleeding stumps, Ryu followed through. The crossguard of his rune blade smashed into the man's mouth, knocking several teeth out, and letting the Kaiser have unfettered access to the man's throat. Dranak'Tal plunged home a moment later. The enemy troopers were going to try and flank him, and he knew that he couldn't allow that to happen. With a gesture, his scutum disappeared and he drew his off hand weapon. Somewhat surprised by the sudden appearance of the second blade, his adversaries hesitated. It was all the opening that Ryu needed. He bolted forward, parrying with the gladius and driving Dranak'Tal right into the man's guts and spine. Cruelly twisting the blade, he ripped it out of the dying man's left side, showering his comrades with blood and gore.

Moving as little more than a blur, Ryu parried a strike from a man-at-arms' arming sword. Dranak'Tal proved the better blade, and chopped it in half. Deprived of his weapon, the man was wide open for a kick that ripped his throat out. Then his gladius leapt out and intercepted a warhammer, shoving the blunt instrument aside before stabbing into the wielder's throat. Blood erupted as the weapon was yanked free.

At the same time, Ryu swung Dranak'Tal, who was growling faintly in his mind. The Kaiser could feel the sword's hunger for battle as it cut through the squad sergeant's breastplate, slicing him in half as he was raising a battle-axe over his head. The loss of their leader had a rather detrimental effect upon the soldiers, which when combined with the speed with which Ryu had performed his butchery, caused the remainder of them to try and flee.

It was the worst mistake they could have made.

"_When in a pitched battle, never turn your back in retreat. All you will do is give your opponent a free shot without fear of retaliation."_

They went down in seconds.

Yua blitzed past him, her blades bloody and dripping. The Praetorians recognized her, and a rippling line appeared for her to pass through. She signaled for him to follow, and he fell in as quickly as he could, hopping over a man who had just been shot by a gryphon-rider, and was now sporting an arrow protruding from his skull.

It took only moments for them to cross the distance between the shield formation and the melee. Dodging the few arrows that were able to come their way or intercepting them with armor and shield was easier than Ryu had anticipated, as most of the archers seemed to be occupied with swatting down the gryphon-riders.

Yua approached close, her equipment and armor identifying her. Ryu decided that it might be best if he stood just outside of it, given that the soldiers didn't seem comfortable about his presence. He summoned his shield and angled it to cover his body, looking for targets of opportunity that he could unleash his recharging Eldritch powers on. As the formation opened slightly at admit his sister, he thought he caught a fleeting glimpse of Miena's emerald green eyes. They widened slightly as they settled on him, but then they were gone, protected by the mass of flesh, blessed oak, and mithril armor.

He turned his back to the group, bent his knees slightly and raised his shield, searching for targets.

He could hear Yua and Decart exchanging information inside of the shield formation.

"Any idea who these people are?" the War Marshall asked.

"By the size and uniformity of equipment, I'd guess Calitorian military," Yua responded. "Look to be a few thousand strong. How the hell did they get past the wards?" she asked, as Ryu targeted a group of rooftop archers and swung Dranak'Tal, sending a wave of power at them.

"The wards appear to have been overpowered in this area," Fulgarus replied, "which means that whoever's leading this assault is more a force than a man."

"Orders?" Ryu heard her ask as he concentrated, forming another blast of power and sending it towards their adversaries.

"Support the troops while we retreat to the palace. Once the royals are secured the Praetorians will be re-dispatched to assist." Decart said.

Ryu took notice of something as his sister reemerged from within the shield block. There weren't really any spells flying around into the formations of soldiers. At first, he thought it might have been cause of how close the battle was, and that neither side wished obliterate their own troops. However, there were smaller spells that were high precision, homing attacks, and wouldn't have those problems. He saw a few such bursts of energy, but not nearly enough to account for all the magi that should have been slugging it out.

Then a fireball roared over his head. He watched it fly, heading straight for a building top at the far side of the forum. It impacted and exploded, covering the whole rooftop in white-hot fire. When the blast cleared, he could see the target, and he gasped. It was the person from the café, he recognized the blue cloak. There was a flaring shield of arcane energy around the figure, and even from where he was, Ryu could feel the power that pulsed through this person.

He cursed himself a fool. His long sleep had made him rusty. He should have noticed something like that sooner.

A hand was extended, and a blast of fire came up from nothingness, consuming an entire group of enemy archers on another rooftop. Then lightning coursed over both arms, and crackled outwards, slaughtering another squadron of them.

With power such as that, it was only a matter of moments before all of the wizards and spell casters of the invading group, Calitorians, if Yua was correct in her assessment—something that Ryu believed, as there were too many for this to be some random band of thugs, and Evrai forces would have demons among their ranks—were directing their attention towards this new player in the game.

There were dozens of them opposing this one person, and the arcane focusing was such that Ryu could feel his draconic blood tingling as he rushed back towards the melee. Fireballs, lightning bolts, bursts of raw energy, and every other type of arcane attack imaginable were being flung around at the one person, and yet, not only was the enigmatic mage holding its own, but he or she was actually winning by the looks of things.

He saw two robed men slump to their knees, blood pouring from their eyes, ears, and nose, their minds reduced paste by a psychic attack. Two more went down seconds later as the person waved their hand, and a torrent of fiery lances descended on them. Their energy barriers held for a few seconds, but then the barrage overwhelmed them. They died, screaming as their bodies were pierced and began to burn from the inside out.

_I have no idea who that person is, but I am suddenly very grateful that he or she is on our side… _Dranak'Tal seemed somber for a brief moment, before its battle-lust returned, and it giggled madly.

The Kaiser focused his Eldritch powers once again, forming a ball of energy in his left hand. He hurled it towards one of the wizards. Eldritch was different from magic, and the defenses required to protect against it reflected this. The man had no time to react as the ball hit him, exploded, and turned him to ash and scattered his remains to the winds.

Then the Kaiser was back in the thick of things, Yua at his side. A Praetorian went down, his spear falling from his hands as his skull was crushed by a war hammer. Assuming a twin-bladed, stance, Ryu leapt in to fill the gap. His gladius caught the hammer as the man came back in, and swatted it aside. Both Drank'Tal and a greatsword pierced the man's chain mail a half second later.

_Get your own! I saw him first! He was mine, I tell you, mine! _

Ryu simply growled and swung the rune blade. Purple fire crackled along the sword's length and flew off as the strike was completed. It cleaved into the hostile ranks and several soldiers fell, twitching out their lives as their intestines spilled into the streets and their now disconnected legs spasmed.

Throwing knives were zipping out of the Praetorian ranks and into the Calitorians, sticking into throats, eye slits, and any weak point that could be found. Ryu knew his sister's handiwork, and briefly wondered where she was getting so many daggers. Movement out of the corner of his eye alerted him to arrow fire. He twisted and used his short sword to slice one out of the air. Two more impacted on his shoulder pauldrons, bouncing off without so much as a scratch. He muttered an oath under his breath. It was possible that they might have explosive arrows or the like, and if that were the case, a barrage of them would come along shortly.

The two soldiers on either side of him managed to parry and deflect the sword and axe blows of their foes. It gave the Kaiser an opening that he took full advantage of, stabbing one man through the heart with his shorter blade, while Dranak'Tal decapitated the other. As both men fell into pools of their own gore, Ryu noted that the battle was swinging in their favor. Reinforcements were arriving, sandwiching the line of hostiles in between them. This, combined with the heavy armor and high skill of the Praetorian Guard, was quickly reducing the number of enemy combatants.

As he channeled more Eldritch energy into an attack, Ryu found himself confused. The Calitorans were many things, but stupid was not one of them. This assault had the element of surprise, and had been brilliantly executed, bypassing every arcane and mundane defense that the capital had possessed. But where were the reinforcements? Something wasn't right here, and the Brood soldier became ever more alert.

Up above, he heard man scream, and spared a brief glance. The wizard was dangling up in the air, his limbs flailing in wild panic. He saw the hooded magi bring up its hands, and give a deft flick. He swore he heard the snaps of the man bones as his ribcage and sternum were destroyed. A dark stain rapidly spread across his chest, and he went limp as first a lump formed, and then his heart was torn out, beating in the air a few times before going still. Both mage and organ fell to the ground a moment later.

Who was this person?

There was a surge of arcane power, and a storm of lightning bolts leapt out of the mage's body, striking down Calitorian spell casters, bombarding their shielding until it failed. The bolts hit, penetrated their flesh, and turned the water of their blood into steam in an instant. One side of their bodies exploded outwards, and Ryu couldn't help but wince as he cut down more foes of his own.

A man armed with a large war axe chopped at him, and the Kaiser summoned up his shield, blocking it and lashing out with Dranak'Tal from above. The chop took the man's arm off at the elbow. The arm fell to the ground, twitching and convusling, the fingers clenching and unclenching as the nerves died. The man started to slump to his knees, but a slash across his neck sent his head flying. Ryu could feel all the blood around him sticking to the soles of his boots.

He twisted as a spear thrust towards him from the next man, and he felt another arrow bounce off of him. Those archers were starting to get on his nerves, but the melee combatants in front of him represented the greater threat. He hacked the end of the spear off, and lunged forward. With Dranak'Tal, he had almost a seven-foot reach, and he was able to slash his adversary's chest open, a vertical line splitting armor and flesh alike into two vertical halves.

Screams of gryphons echoed in his ears, and he heard more cries as the airborne archers and the ones on the rooftops continued to duke it out. The elite soldiers were skilled at keeping their mounts out of arrow range. Still, some of the heavier arbalests had managed to hurl their deadly bolts with sufficient force to penetrate the barding on the gryphon. Two were currently on the ground with their wings bleeding profusely. However, Ryu was quite certain that was of little comfort to the infantrymen that were currently being shredded by the razored talons and beak.

Three others hadn't been so fortunate, and had been killed. Their riders were either dead, or trying to shield themselves with the bodies of their mounts.

Thunder roared and fire crackled, and he saw a blur of movement above him. The hooded mage's defenses had finally been worn down, it seemed, and had leapt off the top of the building to escape a barrage of spell fire, acid clouds, and other such attacks. However, things changed dramatically three seconds later. Ryu had expected a levitation spell of some sorts, maybe feather-fall or the like to slow the person down, but that was not the case.

There was a slight flutter of movement from the back of the person's cloak, and midnight black wings erupted from within. The hood fluttered slightly, and Ryu caught a brief glimpse of blue eyes, blond hair, and an angelic face twisted into a mask of rage that would make a Balor's blood run cold.

Nina de Windia hovered in the air, her cursed wings flapping to keep her afloat. Power spiked through her, streaming from her hands, flying outwards. He couldn't see what was going on, but he knew that she was killing her foes. Her sister was the dearest thing in the world to her, and the magi would see herself damned before she let anyone hurt her.

He had seen that look on her face three times before. Every time the look had appeared, someone had been brutally put down. Joker., Habaruku's lieutenant, Ashura, and Deathevan had all been victims of that gaze.

The mages were dead. The archers were dead. The soldiers were dead. They simply hadn't realized it yet. The archmage hovering forty feet off the ground would spare no one. All would perish before her power.

He cut down three more Calitorans, advancing forward on the left flank of a wedge formation that was pushing its way into the Via Victoria. They were slowly pressing their way forward, while the rank and file soldiers stationed on the side roads were pressing in on the sides. The rear was left open as an illusion of retreat, letting the troopers think that there was somewhere where they could run and hide.

Then reinforcements came from a most unexpected source. Nina sent a burst of lightning tearing along the ground, ripping a massive hole in the enemy lines and scattering them. Then something else floated out from underneath her cloak. It resembled a small manikin, about six inches tall, and covered in tiny runes. The Windian mage released the object, and it fell earthward. However, as soon as it hit the ground, there was a flash of light.

When it cleared, Ryu's eyes widened.

In the middle of the street was a hulking, nine-foot tall monstrosity. Plates of heavy metal interlocked, and steel fingers opened and clenched. Ryu stared into the helmet that it wore, but knew that he would see no eyes. He took his eyes off it long enough to cut two men down as they tried to oppose him, Dranak'Tal slicing both in half with a single move. Then he looked back at it, and realized that he was looking at a Blade Golem, a powerful, arcane construct that was given its name because of its characteristic weapon: a massive, five and a half foot long cleaver in place of a right hand. Infused with supernatural strength and durability, they were the nightmare of light infantry, and he knew that more than one adventuring party had been completely wiped out when they'd earned the wrath of one of those things.

He unleashed an Eldritch blast at a cluster of soldiers making a break for it. They were grouped close out of panic, perfect targets. Five of them were reduced to ash, armor and all, while others lost limbs and went down, screaming as the fury of the attack ignited anything flammable on their person.

Then the golem went into action. It moved quickly, lumbering forward with its blade cocked back. It swung the massive instrument at its nearest foes. Two men slashed it with their blades, while the third raise a metal kite shield to try and block the attack. Fool, Ryu thought. There would be no blocking a blade like that, not with the power that was backing it up.

Metal shrieked as the man's shield was carved in half like so much useless tin foil, followed swiftly by the man's armor, and then the man himself. The strike continued, splitting the other two in half and sending the upper portions of their torsos flying through the air and all over the pavement.

Nina extended her hand, and a multitude of lights flashed from it. They sought out the enemies below her, and blasted the life from them. Then the girl started to descend. Ryu could sense her fatigue, and understood. It took more effort to hold herself back, to use precision work and avoid collateral damage.

There was a golden flash, and a longdsword appeared in the hands of the winged girl. It was a magnificent weapon, with a hilt of crimson and gold, and a double edged blade that flared out just slightly after the first four inches. There were runes inscribed upon the length, and he noticed that the entire blade held the appearance of flowing bands of light and dark steel.

The blade was Ferrosian in its origins. Ryu had seen their weapons before when he'd visited their small island nation. Through a method of layering the steel, they could create blades that were almost unnaturally sharp and durable. They guarded the specifics of this process rather jealously, though, and this had the result of making the weapons hard to obtain, as well as horrifically expensive.

To a soldier, however, they were among some of the best weapons one could possess.

Nina tossed aside the heavy cloak that she was wearing, and he gaped again. She wore a suit of linked armor underneath the cloak and over her battle robe. Silver mithril caught the sunlight, reflecting off of armored bracers and shin guards. Her golem moved up to defend her against any that would approach, but Ryu noted her stance, and realized that it was not some feeble defensive position at work, but the positioning of an experienced blade wielder.

She'd been practicing while he'd been asleep.

Still, she was tired by her spell casting, and there were still enough Calitorians present to mob rush her and overwhelm her. There was also the distinct possibility that someone would see her wings, couple her presence with the legend, and let fear override common sense. Her "allies" could be just as dangerous as her enemies.

The Kaiser's eyes hardened, becoming cold, empty pools of green. He summoned another burst of Eldritch power, and wiped out the men in front of him. Then he broke formation, certain that he'd left a hole large enough for the Praetorians to fill. Then he was upon the retreating Calitorians.

These ones were smarter than the ones he'd fought earlier. They met him head on, for all the good it ultimately did them. Ryu switched over to the style of Nightmare Blade as he drew near, and blocked and parried the initial strikes, then dispelled his scutum and drew his gladius in one fluid motion. He struck out with both weapons an instant later, using Dranak'Tal to slash a man in half from the shoulder while taking his shorter blade and stabbing it into another's abdomen. He ripped it all the way across the man's belly, slitting away the chain mail and leaving his bowels to spill out into the streets.

They squished rather messily as he stepped on them, getting more blood on his boots. A pair of axe-men tried to cleave into him from the left and right, while another attempted to impale him on a spear, and two men at arms attempted to flank. Ryu ducked and twisted out of the way of the blows, moving his blades to intercept what they could. He rolled over to the side, leaping up and kicking the surprised man-at-arms. The Calitoran tried to get his kite shield up to block the unexpected attack, but he was no match for the battle hardened soldier that he faced.

Ryu slammed his foot into the shield, and his talons, covered by razor sharp adamantine, tore through it , ripping it from the man's grip and tearing it towards the axe carrier on his left. It smashed him full in the face, breaking his nose and causing him to stagger backwards. Undefended, there was nothing that the man could do to stop himself from getting bisected by the God-forged weapon in Ryu's right hand.

Splitting headache, party of one…

Ryu ignored the sentient rune blade, hitting the ground, shifting slightly, and then throwing his gladius into the chest of the other man-at-arms. The blade pierced the man's breastplate and he crumpled to the ground. Before he'd hit, the Kaiser had summoned his scutum, cocked Dranak'Tal back, and brought it up from below. The axe man with the broken nose fell apart, his arms and chest falling apart as a series of slashes carved him up like an animal sent to slaughter.

It was needlessly brutal, and somewhat inefficient, but Ryu was playing off their fear. They were almost surrounded, and overwhelmed by the combined opposition of the enraged Imperial soldiers to their sides, a walking murder golem to the rear, as well as a sorceress that had single-handedly wiped out their arcane support and most of their archers, and in front of them was a winged fiend that moved with speed that was beyond human. From the earliest days of his training, his mentor had always instructed Ryu to fight on not just a physical level, but a mental and a psychological level as well.

Men who were utterly terrified, almost without exception, never fought at their peak.

The vicious attack did its job. The remaining two soldiers in front of him, and more importantly, the ones behind them who had seen what he had done, faltered. He could smell their fear, and their terror, and he smiled viciously behind his helmet.

Both of his remaining adversaries died a moment later as a single slash cut through them. Ryu dispelled his shield, and ripped his short sword out of the corpse it was planted in, and kept moving.

He was nearly to Nina now, only a few ranks in between him and the raven winged magi. He still couldn't see her very well, due to the golem that was fanatically protecting her and currently facing him, but he kept pressing forward. Men folded before him, stumbling backwards in a frantic attempt to get clear of his path, preferring to take their chances with the Imperial soldiers. Those who could not died. He showed no mercy, gave no quarter.

An Eldritch blast cleared the rest of the road, swarming out in front of him and cremated a number of soldiers. Others fell to his blades, and at long last, he was close enough that he could almost reach out and touch the golem. The machina construct in front of him might have had limited sentient capacity, but it understood that he was an ally. It shifted slightly and allowed him to pass. Ryu did so in earnest, charging forward, summoning his shield and preparing for a second onslaught.

Nina was surprisingly skilled it turned out. There were a number of bodies in front of her, three or four from the looks of it, but she was mainly fighting defensively now.

Ryu hit them like a sledgehammer, decapitating the nearest man before he could react. As they turned to calculate this new adversary, Nina took advantage of the opening that was presented, jumping forward and stabbing a man in the gut. She pulled back before they could retaliate, reassuming a defensive stance and backing up against the golem.

She caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of her eye, and he saw her eyes widen. She said nothing however, and kept her focus on the enemy.

Ryu kept pressing the attack. He baited the first one, leaving a slight hole in his defenses. Seeing an opportunity to possibly stop one of the many problems plaguing them, the Calitoran jumped forward, thrusting an arming sword out with the intent to impale Ryu. The Kaiser smiled wickedly as the man fell for the trap hook, line, and sinker. He closed the hole immediately, swatting the sword harmlessly aside and spinning the man around helplessly with the force of the impact. The Calitorian stumbled and fell right into Ryu's grip.

He pulled the man back against him and reached up with his left hand. Adamantine tipped talons ripped his throat out at the same time that he jammed Dranak'Tal deep into the man's side and yanked backwards. It created a shower of blood and entrails that Ryu finished by kicking the man towards his terrified comrades. Several of them stumbled back away from him, bumping into other retreating troops and causing a domino effect as they tumbled to the ground.

The Imperial soldiers, filled with righteous fury and a thirst for vengeance, were upon them in moments. Spears plunged, swords stabbed, arrows fell from on high, and spells blasted into the thinning ranks.

It was almost over, but then Ryu felt a chill against his chest. He spared a quick glance down, and realized that it was his mother's pendant. The Dragon's Tear glowed black in its center, an icy, unnaturally cold sensation emanating from it. A tremor crept up the soldier's spine as he realized what it meant: there was a demon here. He began to stare around, frantically looking for the source of the evil that the gem was sensing.

The Calitoran soldiers were breaking into a route all around them as their morale and discipline failed, fleeing desperately towards any illusion of safety available. Ryu understood their situation: Nina had taken out the mages responsible for transporting them. Their exit strategy had been wiped out the moment she'd engaged them. But where could they run?

All it told him was that the demon wasn't among these troopers. It would have shown itself by now, its true nature.

That left only one other possibility.

"Hells!" the Kaiser spat, ignoring the attackers as they fled down the Via Victoria and the line of Praetorian Guard surged past them.

Nina stared over at him, and for the first time seemed to notice the pendant around his neck. Her eyes widened again, but she was not so oblivious as to miss the color that the gem had turned.

"Enkidu!" she shouted, pointing back towards her sister.

The massive golem began to move forward, shaking the ground with its steps. Imperial soldiers scattered out of its way as Ryu and Nina fell in behind it. The two of them made their way over towards the shield wall with all haste. It was still several minutes away from the palace, but far enough that they wouldn't be in any immediate danger. They still didn't let their discipline go lax, though.

In the end, though, that would do precious little to save them. As the trio drew closer, there was suddenly a man clad in black robes standing in the middle of the street. He'd just appeared out of thin air, and Ryu knew instantly that they were dealing with a spell caster here.

The Dragon's Tear grew colder against his chest, and the Kaiser knew that they had also just found the source of the evil permeating through the city. The man raised his arms even as the Praetorians began to engage, throwing spears at him from within their defensive formation.

The weapons bounced harmlessly off of a shield covering the man. He retaliated with a sweeping gesture that blasted the formation apart, bowling the soldiers over like nine pins. Ryu's eyes widened as he saw this. Praetorian armor was shielded against arcane assault to a degree, and for so many to be casually brushed aside meant that this man was of no small talent.

_Five Zenny says this freak's the man in charge. _

Ryu found himself agreeing with his blade, a belief that was further reinforced by the next series of actions.

With a snap of his fingers, a number of beasts appeared before him. Ryu recognized blade spiders—large, arachnidan creatures with exoskeletons that had been infused with some manner of metallic material—undead of various sorts, and four glowing swords that seemed to be made of white energy. Mordiakan blades, if he correctly remembered what Nina had told him.

He'd heard of some wizard being able to control two such blades at once before, but never had he seen a man that could wield four.

Fulgarus and Julia engaged him in battle as his minions charged the rank and file. The High Priestess threw out a ray of holy energy, while the battle mage summoned up a pillar of fire that reduced the streets to molten rock and scorched the very air around the mage.

While the fire still raged, a pair of lightning bolts came out, smashing against the barriers the two Windians had created around themselves. Both grunted and retaliated, Fulgarus summoning a host of red bolts and flinging them with a gesture, while Julia fired a series of flaming lances. As before, they hit and exploded harmlessly off the man's wards. And as before, the mysterious mage retaliated with a barrage of his own offensive magic.

Ryu thought it a miracle that Miena and her parents had not been endangered by the spell casting. Still, he was grateful for that silver lining.

They were less than fifty feet away from the battle now, and Ryu cocked Dranak'Tal back, ready to reduce his opposition to nothing more than beastly corpses. The Blade Golem, Enkidu, was just a few feet behind him, holding its weapon high above its head.

He could also hear Nina focusing more of her powers. It was dangerous for her to be draining herself like this, but no amount of reasoning would convince her to keep her powers in check. Not with her family's safety on the line.

Ryu rushed past the shield formation and slammed his shield into one of the floating blades. The thing shook around for a moment, as if dizzied by the sudden arrival of this soldier. Then it charged in, aiming for his heart. Ryu batted it aside and brought Dranak'Tal down on top of it. The blades clashed harshly for a moment, before the rune blade proved to be the superior sword, cleaving the other one in half.

Nina was by his side a moment later, lashing out with a lightning bolt that hit the man dead on. Fulgarus and Julia managed attacks of their own, and the combined power of the magic picked the man up and hurled him into a wall. He didn't even grunt, getting back up as soon as he touched down, his shields flaring against the barrages being chucked at him.

The golem cleaved a pair of undead warriors in half, scattering bones and old armor everywhere. At the same time, Ryu caught the strike of a blade spider with Dranak'Tal, using the leverage to pick the massive arachnid up off the ground. He dispelled his scutum drew his gladius, and shoved it into the monster's vulnerable underside. It squealed and twitched as the razor sharp shorts word ripped into its brain, leaking greenish ichor down its length and over his arm.

He ducked beneath the swing of a skeletal warrior, countering with a vicious upwards swing that cut the creature clean in half.

More Praetorians were arriving, breaking away from the main attack once they'd realized that their charges were still in danger. Two of them rushed up along Ryu's left, a Windian whose sword was blazing with orange colored fire—a squad spell-sword if he were to hazard a guess—and a Human that was carrying a large glaive-like weapon that was bladed at one end, and ended in what seemed to be a cross between a spear and a mace. The former pointed his two handed blade towards a skeletal warrior, and the fire rushed off the weapon and blasted it to ash. The latter smashed one of the remaining Mordikan blades.

Julia and Fulgarus were suddenly blasted from their feet by a psychic attack. Nina staggered under the assault, but remained standing, flinging a fireball that picked the hostile mage and hurled him into another wall. Her foe's defenses held, but it gave her golem the opening to rush towards it. The blade was raised high, ready to cleave the man to pieces, but the wizard extended a hand and the golem suddenly stopped, caught in a stasis field.

Not to be deterred, Nina once again unleashed a high precision attack, sending beams of silver light from her hand. They thudded against the arcane shielding that the mage had erected around himself, but it was becoming clear that his defenses were weakening, and would soon be down.

"Impressive. Most impressive," he growled in a voice that sent chills down the Kaiser's spine.

Ryu sliced an undead warrior in half and got a clear opening. He channeled an Eldritch blast. His aim was true, but the blast, which should have turned the man into a pile of ashes and super-heated water vapor, was again intercepted. Ryu's eyes widened. Few people, even demons, knew how to defend against an Eldritch attack. What manner of fiend was this?

"This contest has gone on long enough," the mage growled, twisting his hand. Without warning, Miena and her parents were raised into the air, the Praetorians still surrounding them knocked to the pavement at the same time. "Time to end this."

The man closed his eyes for a moment, and when they reopened, they were jet black. He spat a harsh, unknown word, and the three members of the royal family disappeared into thin air.

Nina went berserk.

"Bastard!" she screamed, hurling a lance of raw power at the man. But even as the bolt left her hands he also vanished into nothingness.

The magi's summons were dispatched after a few more seconds, but Ryu knew that it was far too late. They were gone. There were other problems at hand though, like what he was going to do with Nina. She was slumped down, on her knees, sweat drenching her face while her wings drooped. Only her longsword was keeping her up.

Ryu dashed over to her and, mindful of her guardian, gently pulled her into his arms. Her blue eyes met his, and a tremor of emotions fluttered through his heart. He cast them aside for the moment, though. There were other things that needed seeing to.

Nina made a weak gesture and her weapon vanished. Then Ryu carefully picked her up, his mind churning, thinking on the situation.

First, these men were Calitorian military. Mercenary bands lacked the numbers to pull something off like this, nor were many of them this suicidal. Second, the man that he'd just seen was abnormally powerful, given the mess he'd made of an elite unit like this, including going toe to toe with what might have been the two most powerful spell casters in the entirety of the Empire. Someone like that wouldn't have operated with rabble, nor could he have likely afforded the hiring of such a large force on his own. Thus, it stood to reason that the man was an agent of the kingdom, rather than an independent, third party faction.

Now, this left him with the following problem: where do you hide three individuals of the royal family's stature without being too obvious about it? The Calitorans knew that the Empire was fully capable of smashing them with a dedicated effort—indeed, the only reason that Duriak apparently hadn't done so during his tenure as War Marshall was because occupying such a large amount of territory would have strained the resources of his armies—and that making such an audacious assault might make them public enemy number one. The solution was to hide them deep in the most fortified and entrenched city that they had in their position.

This meant Capitan.

The Kaiser's eyes narrowed and he pulled Nina close against his armor. He then became distinctly aware that he was drawing gazes. Some were neutral, others were curious, and some downright hostile. Nina made another gesture with her hands, and the Blade Golem fell in behind them. Ryu knew enough about the constructs to know that it wouldn't attack unless provoked, but he still prayed that none of the Praetorians were stupid enough to start something now.

Yua came running up a few second alter, cursing at the top of her lungs.

"What the hell happened?" she shouted at her brother, sparing a glance over to the clerics that were helping Fulgarus and Julia get back on their feet.

"Spell caster, and a powerful one," Ryu said.

He wasn't kidding. The arcane slugfest between the man and the Imperials had left what looked to be the better part of three city blocks reduced to rubble and bits of molten rock… with at least three of the four parties being mindful of collateral damage.

"He grabbed them and ran off," Decart said, limping to his feet, a large gash running down the outside of one of his legs.

"I think I know where they've gone," Ryu said, turning and facing the man. Decart's eyes fell on him, and then on the person he was carrying. The War Marshall's hands tightened upon the blade he carried, but he shouted no orders to attack.

"Where?" he asked.

"Capitan, likely," Ryu said. "It's their most fortified city, and its three thousand miles away from here."

"Too far for the army to reach in any reasonable amount of time," Decart muttered, rubbing his chin. "And even then, we'd be looking at having to slug our way through their military."

"But a small strike team could quickly move in and secure them," Yua crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "Perhaps even pay King McNeil a little 'visit' while we're at it."

"Good idea," the Marshall nodded his head. "Name who you want, I'll have them requisitioned to your command, agent."

"My brother and our friend should be sufficient. We've got a good group dynamic going. Besides, the Capitan palace dungeons have narrow corridors, too many will just bog us down," she said.

The Marshall frowned for a moment, but then he nodded. "Very well," he looked down at Nina. "I can't help but feel that I'm making a deal with the devil, but if it gets the Empress back, then so be it. Desperate times, desperate measures."

Ryu nodded. It was more than he was hoping for. He stared down at Nina, and realized that she'd fallen unconscious. Mentally cursing himself, he pulled her in closer, supporting her head with one of his arms. Then he started to run as fast as he dared. The Blade Golem and his sister were close behind him, and Dranak'Tal was, for once, silent. He could sense anger and fury coming from the weapon, and the weapon's battle-lust was growing.

The Brood soldier had no intentions of denying the weapon its hunger for combat.

He pressed forward reaching the forum, before a group of Praetorians who had been out of earshot of the Marshall formed a barrier between them. One of them pointed a bloody greatsword at Nina.

"Hand over the demon," he growled.

Ryu's eyes narrowed once again, and his anger began to seethe. The girl that he held was the sole reason that more lives hadn't been lost this day, and that the Calitorans had paid in heavy blood for this act of treachery. Despite this, despite the fact that Nina had literally marched through hell, fought, and indeed, _died_ for the sake of her people, and still they showed this disdain and hate for her.

He checked his rage. Fighting here would solve nothing.

"No."

"Then die with her!" the man shouted, before turning to his comrades.

_Oh, this sod has no idea who he's pissing off…_

The Kaiser felt his aura flare up around him, nearly to the point where he would have begun to Ascend under normal conditions. His eyes flashed from green to slitted yellow, and the Praetorian units recoiled as if they'd been struck by lightning. He let his wings spread out, adding to the intimidating presence. His ten foot wingspan made him seem more a monster than a man now, and that was probably just as well.

It had the desired effect upon the soldiers, and they backed away from him, their weapons falling from hands that were suddenly numb and clammy. He could hear whimpers, and saw them shake like children scared of the dark. He could sense the overwhelming fear and abject horror that was coursing through them.

_I sense just a little more than fear in some of these guys, Ryu. You might have overdone that just a tad._

"Myria preserve us… what the hell are you?" the man asked, his face pale and his eyes wide.

"The last thing on this world that you want to mess with," the voice that issued from behind the helmet was deep, unnatural, like that of a dragon. "Now, get. Out. Of. My. _Way_!"

They stumbled backwards and cleared a path. Ryu decided that keeping the aura up would probably be the best decision, as it would prevent any further problems like this. In hindsight, he realized he'd probably saved their lives. He wasn't certain what would happen if they'd attacked, but he sincerely doubted that Nina's Blade Golem would show them anything resembling mercy. He honestly wasn't certain if the construct's arcane mind was capable of processing such an act.

* * *

The city passed quickly, and once they were outside, they made haste towards Capitan. He'd wait until Nina was rested and well before Ascending and flying the rest of the way. She would going to be the necessary heavy artillery, after all.

A thumb traced its way across her cheek. She seemed so delicate right now. Devoid of the smile that he could always remember on her face, or the warmth that he knew dwelt within her soul.

"Wait!" he heard a voice shout.

He twisted around, and saw a pair of Praetorians rushing towards him. Their weapons were sheathed, and Ryu recognized the two he'd seen earlier. As they drew closer, he realized something. The glaive carrier was not a Human at all, he was a Windian. His wings were deformed though, and Ryu hadn't seen them when they'd been fighting. Where his older comrade and Nina both had the large, beautiful wings that when outstretched were nearly as wide as they were tall, this young man's were less than a foot and a half in length.

"We heard you speaking with War Marshall Decart. Is it true what you said?" the younger asked.

"Yes," Ryu nodded.

"We'd like to come with you, if that's okay," the elder said. "We were part of the Empress' personal bodyguard. Our duty demands nothing less than attempting to free her from where she's being held."

Ryu remained quiet. In truth, the extra blades would come in handy. There was, however, a major problem, and the reason that Yua had rejected the War Marshall's offer of help earlier: Nina.

"You won't mind fighting alongside Nina," he nodded down to the battle mage in his arms.

"The Empress always spoke kindly of her sister," the younger one said, spreading his arms.

"And I'm one to take what I see over what I hear," the elder growled. "And what I saw was this girl risking life and limb to pull our rears out of a real tight bind."

"What are your names?" Yua asked.

"Sergeant Major Bran Delatrack," the older one saluted. "And this is one of my subordinates, Gerard Nerazin, private first class."

Ryu's eyebrows arched a bit. He wondered if this was the same Nerazin that the girl, Samantha, had mentioned earlier as being the guard. He'd have to find out when he got a moment.

"Yua," his sister said, nodding slightly. "And that's my brother, Ryu Bateson."

Both of the Windians looked shocked, but in the case of Bran, it was quickly replaced with wry smile.

"Ryu Bateson, as in the destroyer of Deathevan, the 'Bane of Evrai?'" the younger one said, his jaw nearly unhinged.

"You give me too much credit. I didn't do it alone." Ryu shook his head. "But we can get to know each other better down the road. We've got to get somewhere where we can formulate a strategy while Nina rests."

"Agreed," Bran said. "The Lucretian Forest isn't too far from here. The springs there might help her."

Ryu nodded his head; he'd been there a few times before in his previous journey. The crystal springs that were unique to that forest were noted for their unusual ability to restore the depleted energy reserved of spell casters, and their water was the base ingredient for a number of potions.

"Then let's move out."

* * *

&

* * *

Well, I hope everyone liked the revamp, though 'twas a great bit more violent than the last.

At any rate, any and all comments, feedback, critiques, constructive criticisms, flames, and so forth, are welcomed with open arms. Until next time, thank you all, and please, stay safe.


	7. Past of a Cripple

Hello everybody. Sorry for the long delays between chapters, but I'm having to move slower now due to things in my life such as sickness, attempts to seek employment, and the knowledge that I've been accepted to a law school and will be moving to the other end of my state at the end of July (already have my apartment picked out). I'm also beginning the rough draft of a short story I hoped to get published. If it works out, who knows.

At any rate, thank you once again to everyone who has read this story thus far. Without you, I'd merely be another man with an idea. To those of you who have reviewed, you have my sincerest thanks, and I hope that I answered your questions well (to those of you I could not respond to, is there an e-mail address at which I could reach you?).

Special thanks, as always, to animedragongirl, who went out of her way to assist with this one.

That said, here's chapter seven.

* * *

**Past of a Cripple**

* * *

Morning found the group camped near one of the larger springs in the forest. The harsh clanging of blades echoed through the trees, as the crystal springs cast a strange multi-colored light on everything.

Ryu twisted out of the way of a glaive thrust, bringing the flat of his shortsword down on the weapon as it passed. The young Windian recovered quickly, circling around the Brood soldier as he looked for an opening. Behind them, Bran tended to cooking breakfast, while Yua tended to Nina, who was still recovering from her exhaustion. The younger Broodling kept slowly giving her sips of water from the spring.

Gerard had been interested in sparring with the Kaiser, wanting to see if there was some way to hone his skills. The Praetorian had gone red in the face when he'd admitted that the assault yesterday had been his first time in battle. Ryu was opting just to use his gladius, as he was quite certain that the glaive that Gerard carried wouldn't last more than a few swings against the God-forged weapon that he carried.

It was an unusual weapon too. The glaive was double ended, with a large triangular blade, about a foot and a half long, on the front of it. There was also that strange, mace-spear hybrid on the back. Beneath the main blade were two smaller ones, each about two inches long and shaped like a half moon. These served to cover the place where the blades attached to the staff portion of his weapon. Ryu had been watching him carefully in the thirty or so minutes that he had been squaring off with the younger man, and noticed that Gerard seemed to switch between two major means of attack. The first revolved around the use of the weapon in a series of tight slashes, chops, and thrusts, capitalizing on the use of only the bladed portion of the weapon or the other. Ryu suspected this was intended to be for close quarters corridor fighting, or in formation with other soldiers, as in those cases the area in which he'd be able to effectively maneuver the weapon would be decreased. The second was far more like Katt's had been when he'd traveled with her, spinning the pole arm around at high speeds and attempting to overwhelm the opposition with the sheer speed and reach that the glaive offered to him. This was a feat that he could accomplish solely due to the fact that his wings were as deformed as they were. The whole concept made him very curious as to how Gerard could have acquired such a weapon, as the Kaiser didn't expect the Praetorians Guard to have a steady supply of weapons that the mainstay of their members couldn't use without hacking their own wings off.

Gerard brought his weapon down in a powerful chop, aiming for Ryu's chest. The Kaiser was a blur as he sidestepped the attack, and with a swing of his blade, sent the weapon spinning from Gerard's hands. It landed on the forest floor with a dull thump, and Ryu didn't bother to see where it fell. Gerard appeared to be considering drawing his own shortsword, but thought better of it, and held up his hands in mock surrender.

"How did I beat you?" Ryu asked, sheathing his blade and folding his arms over his chest.

"You're faster and stronger than me," Gerard said promptly.

"Somewhat, yes, but correct skill and proper utilization of force can go a long way in making up for those disadvantages," Ryu corrected. He looked the Praetorian in the eyes. "You're too aggressive. You fight as if I am a swarm of soldiers, when I am but one man. Adjust accordingly. Your style is one that uses the speed you can get from that thing to overwhelm an adversary's defenses, but as you just learned, that doesn't work on someone who's faster than you. Adjust accordingly," he repeated. "Also, use precision strikes, and look for gaps in my defenses, the soft spots that you can strike at. Use the reach of your weapon to your advantage and don't let me in close."

"Heavy on that adjust accordingly stuff aren't you?" Gerard moved over and grabbed his weapon, picking it up and strapping it to his back, before removing his helmet. He paused and ran a gauntleted hand through his dark crimson hair.

"Duriak's first three rules of combat," Ryu said. He held up a single finger. "First: adapt or die." He held up another finger. "Second: in battle you can run, or you can fight. All other tactics and stratagems are variations or combinations of these two ideas." A third finger went up. "Third: Never be afraid to fight dirty. The only unfair fight is the one you don't walk away from."

"A strategy emulated by nearly every successful military on the face of Asparia, whether they were aware of it or not," Bran added with a chuckle and a shake of his head from where he had been watching the two spar.

"Were did you get that weapon, anyway?" Ryu asked, and he gestured towards the pole arm with Dranak'Tal.

"With the introduction of non-Windians to the Guard, a larger variety of weaponry had was issued to the training grounds where we were stationed." He looked down at the weapon with a loving gaze. "It caught my eye, and I realized that due to my deformity, I might just be able to use it." He chuckled in a strange, bitter-sweet manner. "It was something easier said than done."

Ryu nodded, but was distracted when someone groaned. He looked to the source and saw Nina, slowly coming back to full consciousness as the waters of the spring took effect. He tore his helmet from his head, and rushed to her side.

Slowly, ever so slowly, her azure eyes started to open, and he stared into them. They widened at first as they stared up to where his face was above hers, and focused on the pendant that hung around his neck.

"Ryu?" she gasped, her eyes going wide. He nodded, his throat tight.

The Dragon's Tear turning red would be the only warning that he received, had he even seen it. A loud slap echoed through the clearing. The force of the blow was sufficient to knock the Kaiser off his knees and into the air. He crashed onto his back, aware that there were suddenly that everyone's eyes were upon him.

_Yikes… note to self, do not anger the black winged one…_

"Have I… missed something?" Gerard scratched his head.

"I suppose I deserved that…" Ryu muttered.

"I suppose you did," Nina's face appeared above his. Her face seemed a strange paradox, the Kaiser thought to himself: half her face seemed to be filled with warm relief to see him again, while the rest of it seemed to be filled with a fury only slightly less than what had been on her face the previous day. "What in Myria's name were you thinking, Ryu?" Her fury lessened for a moment, softening with something that looked like sadness. "Don't you know what it was like to just see you like that, just… lying in front of that damned spire?"

He saw a shimmering in her eyes, but she blinked it away, her fists clenching. She opened her mouth, looking furious, but instead her face settled into a frown. "But we can talk about this later," she said, and Ryu didn't know where to be relieved or to gulp.

"We're tracking down the punks who took your family, don't worry," Yua said, while walking over. She placed a hand on Nina's shoulder to try and help ease the tension. "Now that you're awake, we'll be setting out."

"Fair enough, this stuff can be eaten on the move." Bran nodded towards the meat that he was cooking. "What's our mode of transport?"

"Me," Ryu grunted, getting to his feet.

_Kaiser Dragons, good for inspiring terror in the hearts of evil doers, rescuing imprisoned innocents, and acting as mobile weapons of mass destruction; will also conveniently haul your bulk freight without complaint. _

"Who said that?" Nina looked around, staring at the other four people.

Dranak'Tal began to whistle innocently, and she snapped around to gaze at the sword belted to Ryu's hip.

_What? Is there a bloodstain on my hilt? Some piece of flesh caught in my scabbard? _Dear Ladon_, am I rusting? _

"What in the…" she trailed off, shocked.

"Once again, I have the feeling that there's something that I'm not being told." Gerard commented, looking over to Bran, who simply shrugged.

"You can hear the sword speaking?" Ryu's gaze traveled evenly between her and the weapon.

"How?" Yua raised an eyebrow. "I thought only Brood could hear the thing talk."

_Give the kid a cookie! She just answered her own question. _

"The blade is correct, somewhat," Nina said after a pause, rubbing her hand along her shoulder, causing a slight tinkling sound as the mail links brushed against one another. "It's a closely guarded secret of my family, but one of our ancestors was a Brood."

"You're kidding, right?" Yua snorted in disbelief, shaking her head.

"It's how we lost our ability to transform in the first place," the battle mage responded with a shrug, and Ryu noticed a sea of memories that seemed to pass before her eyes.

"As entertaining as this is," Ryu said, "we need to break camp and get a move on. Even at my best speed, it'll take us a day and a half to get to Capitan." Ryu put his helmet back onto his head and secured it.

"Agreed." Nina said nothing more, but the Kaiser could see that he had successfully diverted her to a more successful mood: the flames that were leaping and dancing in her eyes at the mention of her sister's kidnapping. He felt a brief moment of pity for King McNeil.

It took them only moments to pack camp and mount up, and then they were on their way.

* * *

It was along the way the group took the time to get to know each other, trading stories of their origins and their journeys.

Bran, as it turned out, was an old veteran from the Highlander campaigns, and bore a few scars from his battles with the wily, simian troopers. He'd started off as an ordinary soldier, but soon became involved in the Windian Empire's latest battlefield addition: the spell-sword. These were soldiers who combined heavy armor, swordplay, and magic blasts together into a single unit; and they were most notorious for their spell-channeling abilities, which enabled them to conduct their spells through their weapons. Though not as skilled in the ways of the arcane as a battle mage, and certainly nowhere near Nina's power, Bran represented a considerable threat on the battlefield, due to his sheer versatility.

Gerard was a tad more straightforward, admitting with a rather sheepish blush, that he'd never been able to get the hang of magic and had thus been regulated to standard infantry. Gerard's admission to the Praetorian Guard was a combination of skill, raw determination, and favors called in by both Bran, who was apparently his mentor in addition to being his superior, and his father, who had distinguished himself enough during his service with the army that he had a small amount of clout within the circles of his superiors.

It had not, however, been an easy climb for the young man. The training had been harsh enough, as it was a carefully monitored program designed to take recruits at a young age and mold them into the Empire's best soldiers, where they would then serve either as the Emperor's bodyguards, or as elite infantry forces. Weapon drills, squad and company level tactics, combined arms doctrines; all were drilled into the recruits. The end result was a fighting force that was second to none on the surface world.

In theory, any clan or race could join the guard, provided that they met the physical and mental prerequisites. Indeed, since the expansion of the Empire, Humans, Worrens, and Grass Runners, and many other Clans had been welcomed into the ranks for the versatility they brought. This enabled the Guard to be more flexible on the battlefield. However, in Gerard's case, there were some who sought to remind themselves of who the Windians were, and where they had come from.

"Call it patriotism gone just a tad too far." Gerard commented sourly. The instigators saw Gerard's deformed wings as a sign of things to come. It was not something that the young man looked back on favorably, and there was no disguising the bitterness that filled his tone when he spoke of his past.

* * *

"Alright, maggots, time to rise and shine!"

Gerard bolted awake as the voice boomed in his ears. The young man barely remembered that there was a bunk over his head, and only just managed to avoid braining himself with it. He carefully rolled out of his bunk, he hurriedly laced up his boots, and headed down towards the mess hall.

He got a few shoves as he made his way down the hallway from Zaneth's followers. The man himself stood off to the side, glaring at the deformed Windian. Zaneth was from a long line of nobility, and his father served as a Duke-Governor of one of the southeastern provinces of the Empire. As was the case of all militantly minded upper class individuals, the Praetorian Guard was his one desire.

Gerard returned the glare, understanding the challenge that was being issued to him from the noble. They would square off again in the arena today, during individual weapons practice. Deep down, it was something he both looked forward to and dreaded.

While his father had pulled strings to get him into the position of an officer in training, when it came to weapons, Zaneth's skill was all his own. This had shown itself time and again when he had bested Gerard in their training. With swords, maces, or spears, Zaneth had virtually no equal. For months, now, it had been Gerard's hope to surpass the noble on the practice field, to best him in weapons handling.

It had taken quite some time for him to master the weapon, applying a mix of what he knew of sword play and spear work together, as well as what he'd garnered from watching various staff fighters when he could get a glimpse of them. The fact that Bran was a drill instructor when he was not out on tours of duty also helped him immensely. Even so, it had been difficult, learning to hold his wings uncomfortably close to his body had not been easy, and more than once, he had nearly shorn one of them off, which would have raised the eyebrow of more than one cleric.

He'd also made a note to watch Zaneth at every opportunity, to observe the man's flaws and strengths. The other solder was good, great, even… but he wasn't perfect. There were a few holes in his defenses that could be exploited, if one was fast enough.

He sighed as he got his food, a mix of vegetable laden porridge with a cut of fish on the side. He downed the food hurriedly, making no conversation with the others at the table. Having been long isolated by his fellow Windians, Gerard had become something of a pariah, speaking with no one beyond what was necessary for squadron and group formations.

Once finished, he headed back to his bunk to grab his armor, and quickly suited up. After that, he headed straight for the training arena. Today was going to be the day when he unveiled his little secret. For better or for worse, things would come to a head today.

Bran was already out in the dust filled pit, reading from the large, gilded spellbook that hung on the side of his belt. Though a number of military ranks and a full century of life separated the two from each other, he smiled warmly, and rose to shake the young man's hand. This was followed by a salute.

"So, today's the day, isn't it?" Bran asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes sir," Gerard nodded, assuming a parade rest formation.

"Bah, we're practically blood relatives, boy, you can keep the sir part to yourself when it's just the two of us here," Bran said with a chuckle, glancing over to the many weapon racks that dotted the edge of the arena. The young man said nothing else, but headed over to where the polearm lay.

He picked it up out of its holster, palming it expertly. The handle was a stout oak pole, about four and a half feet long, covered in a thin sheet of metal and wrapped in leather and silk to aid gripping. When the ends added on, the weapon was nearly half again his size. However, its balance was good enough that it could be swung quickly and efficiently. He also remembered to grab a shortsword, and then made his way towards the center of the arena.

Gerard quickly began to go through his warm up routines. He opened by using it like a spear, focusing on the use of a single head, stabbing and thrusting at imaginary foes. After a few routines and combos, Bran marched in and drew his greatsword. The mighty blade was an ancient heirloom of his family, covered in arcane runes that shone with a bright crimson light in the early morning.

"Fighting a real adversary is always better than fighting shadows, is it not?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Gerard nodded, and tightened his grip, setting his feet to a combat stance. He slowly circled the spell-sword, looking for an opening. Bran matched him, movement for movement, holding his large blade at an angle, the blade towards the earth, and the hilt about even with his head. It was a classic defensive formation. He was waiting for Gerard to make the first move.

The young man waited a few more seconds, and then decided to oblige his superior. He thrust the blade towards Bran's chest, but the older man parried the blow with ease. Gerard followed through by using his superior's sword as a brace, angling the rear half of his weapon towards his head. Bran shifted, and managed to lock it up on the crossguard of his sword, countering with a knee to Gerard's gut. The younger man felt his breath blasted form his lungs and stumbled backwards.

"Careful, watch for that," Bran said as he allowed Gerard to recover. "Next time, try to do that on your own. Remember, any part of your body can potentially be a weapon." He gestured to the studs on the end of their gauntlets.

Gerard nodded, and then shifted his grip on his polearm, moving them slightly apart. Then he charged towards Bran, spinning the weapon over his head, altering his grip and his footwork as he closed the distance, trying to keep the elder combatant guessing. Bran's eyes narrowed and he placed his left foot back. Gerard's first move was a vicious underhand swipe, which against a real opponent, would have been aimed to cleave him in half at an angle.

Bran leapt backwards out of the way of the strike, and then had to quickly jump to avoid a kick aimed at his ankles. Gerard didn't finish the sweep kick, however. As soon as he saw that it wasn't going to work, he yanked his leg back, and back-flipped out of the way of the retaliatory strike. It was simple enough to dodge, but the next series of attacks that his instructor sent at him were lightning fast, and seemed to cut the air itself.

Gerard parried and deflected the blows as best he could, being certain this time to keep and eye on his instructor's feet. The elder Windian, however, decided to take advantage of his heritage a moment later, and took to the sky. There was little that could be done to stop him, as Gerard was incapable of following. The young soldier immediately adopted a defensive stance, shifting around and keeping his eye on the flying instructor.

Bran wasted little time in renewing his assault, diving down with the speed and ferocity of an eagle. His large blade was held straight out like a lance, and Gerard had little time to watch. He jumped to the side as his instructor came past, anticipating where the blow would be, and swatting it aside. The older combatant streaked past and back up into the air, before turning around and landing again. He held out a hand and motioned for an end to the sparring match.

"That's enough for now. I don't want you wasting all your energy. You'll be hard pressed enough to keep Zaneth at bay at your peak." He sheathed the massive blade between his wings, and crossed his arms.

"I understand, Sir," the soldier said, bowing low before the instructor, and placing the polearm into a specially designed holster slung along his back.

He didn't have to wait very long for the rest of the recruits to start coming out. Before long, the yard was filled, and a few minutes after that, the day officially began. Warm up exercises were the initial routine, followed by calisthenics in their battle gear, and several hours worth of group combat formations. Gerard drew a few stares from his choice of weaponry, but he was moved in with the halberd carriers nonetheless.

Once the morning began to pass into afternoon, a break was given for the cadets to eat lunch and rest up. After that, came the moment that Gerard had been waiting for: individual combat practice.

While the Praetorian Guard were primarily meant to operate in battle formations, from small, squad level body guard units, up to mighty, multi-hundred man regiments and battalions, they were also taught how to operate well on the individual level. This helped them to be prepared for those instances where they would not have the luxury of having a comrade to their left and right. Different moves would be used, and a greater emphasis was placed upon being swift and strong, rather than the highly coordinated and synchronized efforts necessary for combat formations.

Volunteers went first, squaring off against each other in battle circles about twenty feet wide. If none were forthcoming, the instructors would pair people up at random. This was something they also reserved the right to do if they suspected that cadets were taking it easy on one another. There was never truly a need to hold back in the arena, as it was an ancient structure, as old as the palace itself. As for the building, it had been directly blessed by Myria with spells and wards of protection. Bloodshed of the lethal variety was guarded against, and any blow that could potentially become fatal would find itself stopped by the ancient magicks.

This also allowed it to double as a handy spot for gladiatorial battles, which was a prime source of entertainment in the Empire. Gerard knew that his father had occasionally participated in the more tame matches up in the northern regions, where weapons were often dulled, or simply made of graphite, since the arcane power required to enchant an arena like the one in Windia was typically beyond mortal capabilities, and those who could had better things to do with their talents.

Zaneth and Gerard exchanged looks again, and both readied their weapons. Zaneth favored the greatsword, and Gerard knew that the amount of time that he'd spent in practice against Bran would be of invaluable aid here. The crippled Windian took out his polearm once again, and gripped it tightly, before heading over to one of the battle circles.

His antagonist joined him momentarily, and it did not taken long for the two of them to be shooting daggers at each other once again.

"I see you've decided to try yet another toy against me, half-breed," Zaneth sneered. Gerard merely growled, and his crippled wings twitched reflexively, as if they were able to hear the insult being made against them. "When are you going to learn that you're nothing compared to us? You're merely a malformed freak, and you have no place in this unit." He chuckled softly. "If I didn't know any better, I'd swear that your mother had been unfaithful to her dear husband when she had you. After all, tours of duty can last a long time..."

A pulse of white hot anger raced through Gerard's mind, and for a moment, he saw red. He fought the urge to simply lash out though. Zaneth was trying to get a rise out of him, trying to get him so worked up that he would make a mistake and that would be the end of it. It had worked before, but the deformed soldier knew better than to let it get to him this time. This was the time that he was going to be the one to emerge on top, the one who would sneer into his fallen opponent's face. And by the goddess, it was going to feel good when he did it.

He gripped the double bladed polearm tightly in his hands, and waited for his foe to make the first move. He watched every movement that Zaneth was making, watching for the tell tale signs of an impending attack: a tensing of the legs or arms, a deep inhalation, a slight widening of the eyes. Finally, the last option revealed itself, and the other cadet rushed him, screaming a battle cry and cocking his sword back for a powerful, two handed strike.

The blade came in from the side, but Gerard's polearm was there to stop it, swatting it harmlessly aside and countering with the other end of the staff. The crescent moon shaped blades and the primary one both rebounded of the mithril plate armor with a resounding, metallic 'bong' that caused his foe to stagger slightly.

Undeterred, and likely chalking it up to beginner's luck, Zaneth attacked again, bringing his weapon down in an overhand chop that would have split an unwary opponent in half down the middle. Gerard brought his weapon up and blocked, pushing the sword up high and shifting it off to one side. He followed through with a knee to the gut, making his foe double over and gasp for breath. Once more, he brought his weapon home, and only the magic of the arena stopped Zaneth's head from being severed from his shoulders.

Then Gerard went on the offensive. He started to let his innate aggressiveness take over. He was swinging his weapon left and right, back and forth. Zaneth was good, but while he was able to block most of the blows, he was never truly able to get the offensive back. Holes that Gerard left in his defenses were certainly present, but he never got the chance to exploit them. The crippled Windian was simply moving too quickly.

Gerard feinted twice in a row, throwing his opponent off balance just slightly, and then hammered him three times in less than two seconds. The first two blows hit along Zaneth's ribs, and the last one was stopped just a fraction of an inch short of his helmet.

The noble roared in wounded pride and spread his wings wide. Then he raced in, slashing to and fro with his blade, determined to bury his foe and claim such a strike that there would be no doubt as to who was the better one here.

Gerard blocked the initial thrust, and followed through with a kick. Zaneth twisted out of the way and countered with a downward slash, angled just slightly. The power behind the blow nearly forced Gerard to his knees, but the other cadet merely growled and pushed back. He snarled, and tried to shift Zaneth's weight off to one side. His foe broke the blade lock, however, and the two of them were back where they had started.

However, Gerard had started to get his offensive momentum back up, and he was just as determined as his opponent that this would be the final round of their bout. His polearm became a blur, switching between rapid slashes and a series of blindly fast thrusts, all of them geared towards getting his foe off guard. Zaneth managed to lock them up again for just a second, but Gerard shoved hard, trapping the greatsword between the two of them. It was a simple matter then, for him to head-butt his rival. Caught off guard, Zaneth stumbled backwards.

The blows rained in. Gerard hit the noble's sides, brought the mace portion down over his head, thrust at his heart, and a slash that was stopped a hairsbreadth short of Zaneth's throat. It ended with the noble taking the mace portion of the staff to the kneecap, and a loud crunch echoed through the arena and brought a healer scrambling over to them. The Windian glared up at Gerard, his pupils dilated in pain, but no sound escaped the man's lips. There was hatred there as well, a vow of vengeance and a promise of humiliation. Gerard said nothing in return, but merely left the circle to find a new sparring partner.

He caught a quick glance of Bran, who winked and smiled at him.

* * *

That didn't help things very much, though. The young man's victory over his adversary had not increased his respect, or won him any friends. Indeed, it seemed to have made things worse. Zaneth's followers seemed to redouble their efforts to force the crippled soldier from the academy. Gerard truly hadn't expected much of anything else, and he bore it silently, the rage seething beneath his skin, causing his aggression in single combat to become something of an in-joke among the other cadets.

He didn't care. While they socialized, he focused on becoming the best. When they enjoyed their leisure time, he dedicated himself to mastering his weapon, seeking out any who he thought might have been able to help him.

Things had changed one day, almost a year after he had first bested Zaneth in the arena. He was squaring off against two other cadets, with each individual taking turns at being the one being attacked. Gerard looked over to his current partner, a Worren whose name he could not remember. The two said nothing, but nodded their heads and flanked out about their mutual foe. The other man licked his lips and nervously scooted backwards, careful not to keep too much of his weight on any one foot for too long.

As one, they struck, the Worren bringing his greatsword in from the right, while Gerard chopped downwards with his glaive from the left. Their foe made an attempt to parry both with his own greatsword, swatting the Worren's strike aside with the blade and turning the glaive away with the crossguard. Gerard was stronger than his foe, though, and before the man could follow through with the counter riposte he pulled backwards, yanking the Windian off balance. He smashed an armored gauntlet into the side of the man's head, sending him staggering. As he was tumbling backwards, the Worren came back in, thrusting the greatsword directly 'into' his opponent's spine.

Were it not for the magic of the arena, the Windian's last sight would have been of the massive, four and a half foot long blade sticking out of his chest.

They helped the defeated soldier up to his feat, and then Gerard backed away, ready to begin his turn as the lone defender. However, it never came to blows, as before he could do anything, a loud, booming voice echoed through the arena.

"Break!"

It was the voice of none other than War Marshal Decart. Gerard looked over at the leader of the army as the other two cadets filed past him. The crippled Windian made a quick dash for the water barrel, scooping out some of the cool liquid and quenching his thirst. Then he went right back to work, spinning his way through various katas and combat routines, occasionally blending his work with some of the martial arts that his father and Bran had taught him in their free time.

What he hadn't seen, in his rush to get back to work, was that the War Marshall had not been alone. There was a young lady with him, dressed in the purple and white robes of the Imperial family, and with a platinum pendant around her neck. Her blue hair was the most dead on give away of who she was though.

Princess Meina de Windia was taking a tour of the troops, observing who was going to be making up the defenders of her and her family in the future. She acknowledged and addressed those she knew from the meetings at the palace and the senate, while being as polite as she could to those that she did not.

Gerard continued on in his training, blissfully unaware of his superior's approach to his position.

A stab forward, parried to the right by his invisible foe. Slide the pole up to keep the waraxe from hitting home, and if possible, catching it underneath the curve between the axe head and the shaft. Then he pulled backwards, yanking the weapon away and leaving his shadow opponent unarmed. A stab to the heart ended the bout.

He moved on, imagining someone with a warhammer. He dodged backwards as the blow came in, swinging out and wide to try and put the man off balance, before slicing in the with the glaive's sharp cutting end. He anticipated a parry and counter from the large weapon, and again used the shaft of his polearm to keep the weapon from hitting him.

He heard someone approaching him and broke of his routine in mid strike. The young man then cursed himself an idiot and assumed attention as he realized that it was the War Marshall. It took every ounce of willpower he had not to stare at Miena as he realized who she was.

"At ease, cadet," Decart said, cross his arms over his chest and covering up the beautifully etched armor of his office.

Gerard spread his legs slightly and loosened his grip upon his polearm just a bit. His free hand opened up, the fingers curled slightly for the greatest comfort.

"You practice while the others rest. You must be quite driven," Miena said as she cocked her head to one side, her blue eyes looking like they were trying to stare past the facemask that he was wearing on his helmet. "What is your name?"

"Gerard Nerazine, your majesty," he said with a slight bow.

"You fight aggressively," The War Marshal said, tapping an armored finger to his chin. "It almost borders on recklessness. Do you do this while in formation?"

"With all due respect, Sir," Gerard said, going ramrod straight again, "I am due to graduate in a few months. I would not have lasted this long if I did not battle in proper formations with my fellows."

"Then why so eager to strike out?" the Princess asked him, sounding genuinely curious to him.

Gerard opened his mouth to say something, but then he noticed Zaneth and his ilk a little ways off, laughing raucously. He heard the word "half-breed" in there somewhere, and his stumpy wings reflexively twitched, rising just a little bit above his shoulders before he quickly clamped them back against his armor. He would have to see about getting the things covered. They were nothing but trouble.

Neither War Marshall Decart nor Princess Miena said a word, but he could see it in their eyes. They understood his drive now. He caught a glimpse of what appeared to be pity in the striking azure eyes of the heir to the throne, but all it did was send a flash of anger through him. Pity was not something he needed. He didn't want to be seen as some malformed reject trying desperately to fit in with the "true" Windians.

He was grateful that the helmet and the face plate that he wore kept his visage hidden. It would not have been a good thing for that flash of rage to be seen by his superiors, including the one person who, in a few years, would literally decide his fate.

There was, however, a noticeable tightening of his hand upon the shaft of his weapon. Gerard forced himself to let go of his grip, to ease up just a bit before he got himself in trouble.

"Sometimes, you have to be the best, simply to prove that you're an equal," he said quietly.

There was another moment or two of awkward silence between the War Marshall, the Princess, and the young cadet. Then Decart nodded, and Gerard resumed his combat routines. The young cadet frowned behind his helmet, certain that he had made a very negative impression upon both of his superiors. Still, there was nothing to be done about it now.

He tried his best to put it out of his mind by losing himself in his combat routines once again.

* * *

"So what happened after that?" Ryu asked, his voice audible even over the roaring wind.

"That is where I came in," Bran said.

* * *

Bran saluted his superiors as they approached the spell-sword training area. Some moments were spent discussing the progress of the next generation of shock troops, before Bran found a chance to inquire about what he'd seen a few minutes earlier.

"I see you met Cadet Nerazin over there," he nodded to where the young man was once again attacking the shadows.

"A regular piece of work, but he seems to have anger issues," Decart said, frowning.

"He's something of an outcast from the Windian cadets, sir," Bran remarked, assuming an at rest position with his hands clasped behind his back. "I'm sure you noticed his wings?" he waited until he got a nod. "Well, I'm afraid he's become somewhat bitter about it."

"You know him personally, then?" Miena asked, his eyebrows rising up sin surprise.

"Served with his father for several years. The boy's got a sharp mind and strong sword arm… a good heart too, but you've just got to crack that shell he puts up around himself."

"I see," Decart muttered, pursing his lips. "You are confident in this cadet's ability to control his anger. That it will not become a detriment? As serious as the role of the guard is in the protection of the capital and the Imperial family, we cannot risk a loose cannon."

"Sir, I have worked with Cadet Nerazin since before he was accepted into the academy. He's not a very social individual, but if you tell him to jump, he'll ask how high, for how long, and how far."

"I'll hold you to that, Sergeant Major," the War Marshal said, before beckoning his young charge further on.

* * *

"Miena was curious about me," Gerard said, sitting as comfortably as he could, nestled among the spiny ridges of Ryu's back. "She wanted to know who I was, where I had come from, all of that sort of stuff. What started as a simple question and answer session or two eventually became a friendship." Gerard's eyes grew distant as he spoke. "She looked past my deformities. Tried to get to know me for what I was." He chuckled and shook his head. "Guess I should have expected that, given that she never held your wings against you, ma'am?" he said, looking over at Nina.

The raven winged sorceress nodded, and smiled faintly. "Miena always was blessed with the foresight and wisdom to look beyond the surface of people. She'll be good for the Empire."

"That's if we can get her back alive." Bran muttered. "I still can't believe that we let that son of a banshee get away with them."

"There was little you could have done," Ryu growled. "His power was beyond you. Beyond almost any mage I've seen. And I've seen quite a few."

"Can you think of a strategy to defeat him?" Gerard asked.

"You'd be better off asking Nina, that's more her area of expertise." He rumbled. "However, I can say this. The wizard turned my Dragon's Tear black."

"Black… a demon." Nina said. She frowned, and bowed her head. "I'll need to prepare for this one carefully," she remarked, rubbing her chin.

"How hard can it be for you to overcome?" Gerard seemed puzzled. "Miena told me everything she could about your victory over Deathevan. Surely this fiend cannot be stronger than the very God that created it?"

"With Deathevan we got lucky," Ryu remarked. "And further, here we'll have to be careful. I won't be able to just spray my breath weapon around indiscriminately. Too much can go wrong."

"I see," Gerard said.

The group remained silent for some time, thinking of how they might accomplish their coming mission. The stakes were high, and the consequences of failure would be most unpleasant.

* * *

&

* * *

Okay, well, got that done. Hope it's not so bad. Next chapter's going to be a tad longer, as I've decided to break the rescue mission up into a three parter.

As always, my thanks to those of you who have read this far, and if you've any ideas, comments, criticisms, or the like, please do not hesitate to shout. Until next time, stay safe.


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